Story of A Girl
by Ella Wright
Summary: Adele has a not so subtle crush on her brother's best friend. But Pogue has a new girlfriend and Adele finds it depressing. Soon enough, Adele starts to find changes in herself, her friends, family, and even finds new love interests. Tyler/OC REVISED
1. Prologue

* * *

**Prologue**

**Story of a Girl**

* * *

Every so often, there comes a period of time, when you hit rock bottom.

I've been sitting here, in the hole I dug for myself, for the past six months. Nothing, I repeat, nothing has been able to turn my attention from him. And the worst part about this whole self-pitying act I've got going on, is that I actually feel guilty for being so damn selfish. He was happy with Kate. I could see it in his eyes. He never looked at me the way he looks at Kate. Here I go again, I can't seem to stop crying over him.

I'll be honest with you, I've had a thing for Pogue Parry since we were kids. Our families grew up kind of close and he was pretty much inseparable from my older brother Caleb. It was weird, always hanging around with my older brother just because Pogue was there. I guess, everyone sort of knew I had a huge crush on him, way before I did.

I of course, didn't realize my feelings for him until Kate Tunney snatched him up. And what sucks even worse, is that I actually liked Kate. We were paired up as partners in geometry class last year, and as beautiful and popular as she was, she never treated me like I was some sort of loser, like the rest of the popular crowd did. She would actually converse with me, and ask me how my weekend was. If I was paired with any of her other friends they would have just left me alone and had me do all the work, not stopping to ask me how I was or even giving me a second glance.

So here I am, about to begin my Junior year at Spencer's Academy in Ipswich, Massachusetts moping around over a guy that I could never have. My name is Adele Elisabeth Danvers, and this is my sad, sad story.


	2. Chapter 1: The Change

**AN:** The story has been completely revised. I felt it was necessary to compact the chapters to help the plot flow better...  
I'm currently working on two different fanfics now, Remember Jersey (A covenant story), and A Chronicle of Sorts (A gossipgirl story). So if you feel like it, check those out.  
xx Ella  
Oh, and I don't own the Covenant... blah blah blah.

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Change**

**Story of A Girl**

* * *

The start of my Great Depression happened about six months ago. I was making my way to art class, when I spotted the two of them at her locker, making out. I should have seen it coming, I mean they were both beautiful and popular but I had always secretly wished that Pogue had a thing for shy and nerdy girls (IE: Me). My secret wish never came true. A few hours after I had spotted them sucking face, the news spread around school like a wildfire; Pogue and Kate were officially together. Instead of catching a ride home with my brother after school like I usually do, I opted to walk instead. It took me a lot longer to get home, but on the long walk home I was able to think. Sadly, that's all I've been able to do ever since that day. Thinking.

Thinking about Pogue Parry.

I don't live at the dorms at Spenser's. Mainly because of family problems, but also because my best (and only) friend, Ashleigh Smith, already had a room mate. I'm not much of a partier like my brother is. I'm more on quiet side. My older brother Caleb, (who's only older by 17 months by the way), is the tall, dark, and handsome type. I'm not sure if my mom was into other dude's at the time I was conceived, but I'm nothing like my brother. I'm maybe 5'4 at the tallest, long blonde hair, blue eyes, and pasty white. I'm awkward, socially retarded, and I've never had a real boyfriend. It's like Caleb and I are polar opposites. He's popular and never goes unnoticed, whereas I only have one real friend and people always ask me who I am, despite the fact that we're living in a small town and have only been going to the same school for years.

I should also fill you in on a little secret. People now brush off magic and super powers as nonsense, but the fact of the matter is, that it does exist. I'm not a witch. But my brother is. And so is Pogue Parry and the other two sons of Ipswich, Reid Garwin and Tyler Simms. The history goes like this: In 1692, five families with magical powers formed a covenant of silence to protect themselves from persecution. Four of the five blood lines survive to this day. If you couldn't already guess, my brother and his three other friends make up the Sons of Ipswich. It's only by my shit luck, that I didn't inherit any super powers. Apparently, the first male born into the family gets the magical abilities. I was the second and last child, and I'm definitely not dragging around a penis. So to sum it up, I pretty much got screwed. My eyes don't flash black and I can't make things move with my mind. Although a few years ago, Reid tricked me into thinking I was moving a curtain rod with my eyes. Turned out he was moving it himself, with an umbrella handle. He had me going at least a good 20 minutes. I can still hear him now, "Concentrate harder Adele… That's it, keep thinking about it… Oh my God it's moving!"

So here I am, sitting alone up here in my room, feeling sorry for myself as the end of my summer vacation comes to an end. I switched on my laptop and began to check my email(s).

_**Email 1**__: Want to grow 6 inches without using a pump?_

_**DELETED.**_

_**Email 2:**__ Want to make millions by then end of the month without leaving your home?_

_**DELETED.**_

_**Email 3:**__ Del, You're not answering your phone. _

I opened up the third, and last email, which was sent by my one and only best friend Ashleigh. I began reading.

_Hey Del,_

_You're not answering your phone so I hope you're okay. Call me before school starts, I want to go shopping and hang out. _

_Miss you, _

_Ash._

Thankfully, there was always this one thing that could always turn my frown upside down; Retail therapy. And a lot of it.

I picked up my cell phone and decided to give my best friend a call. I had a feeling, today, was going to be one of my better days.

--

"Gee Del, you're boobs blew up like balloon" Ashleigh sounded as though she had come straight out of a 1950's movie.

"Aww, jeepers Ash, you're embarrassing me" I mocked my friend as we made our way through the busy downtown streets of Boston. I had been right, shopping had given me a slightly happier outlook on my life… well for now at least. And not to mention my best friend just mentioned that my boobs are huge. Who could ask for a better compliment?

"How's Caleb?" Ashleigh was not subtle when it came to her fascination with my brother. Ashleigh, like me, was a bit on the nerdy side. She had long brown hair that she always wore in a ponytail, side bangs, brown eyes, and a little junk in the trunk if you know what I mean. She was pretty, in her own weird way.

"He's good." I brushed off her question. Caleb and I weren't necessarily close. I mean, we are brother and sister so the only thing we really have in common are our parents, and as I stated before, I wasn't too sure about that either.

"Hey, you want to?" Ashleigh stopped in front of a dinky hole in the wall building. **Mystical Shelly's Palm and Psychic Readings**, the neon sign in the window read.

I didn't have a choice though. Ashleigh practically pushed me into Mystical Shelly's humble abode. We were greeted by an older lady, holding a handful of beaded necklaces in one hand, and a bottle of Brandy in the other. _Ah, Mystical Shelly_.

"Hello, darlings" the drunk greeted us, with a horrible Jamaican accent. "Come, lets see what the future shall bring."

We followed the older lady into a poorly lit back room, which smelled of vanilla and cigarettes. _I could use a smoke_, I silently thought to myself as I sat down in an old dusty armchair next to Ashleigh. Lying before us, on a black laced table cloth, surrounded by unlit candles, was what I assumed to be Mystical Shelly's crystal ball. Next to it, a pack of Camels and an older copy of Women's Health. _Oh, the irony._

"You came to me today because you're worried about something, very, very important, aren't you dear?" The crazy old lady began.

_Actually, we came across your dungeon and I was pulled inside._

"Sure" I mumbled out as I felt the mystical creature's gaze burn into me.

"You have a lot on your mind." _I wonder what gave that away_.

"She does, that's so true" Ashleigh was only encouraging her now.

"Does this boy know he's causing you this mental grief?" _I should be asking you this_.

I looked over at Ashleigh, who's eyes looked as though they were about to pop out of her head. She was so insanely smart, but sometimes she could just be plain gullible.

Without waiting for my answer, crazy Shelly started chanting under her breathe and massaging her glass ball. _Oh, the sexual innuendos_. I rolled my eyes as I watched my best friend, watch the old hack go at it, in amazement.

"Something's about to change." Her eyes started rolling towards the back of her head. _Well, when she realizes this psychic stuff doesn't work out she can always star in a lifetime movie_.

"Someone's about to walk into your life." And with that last confusing statement, the old lady sitting before us, faked her way into a seizure and passed out on the floor beside us.

"Should we just leave the money on the table?" I asked, after a few awkward minutes of nothing happened. Ashleigh just looked at me as if she'd seen a ghost, and without a word, took off running out of the shop. I pulled out a twenty, slapped it down on the table, and followed my friend out of the building.

--

"I can't believe summer is practically over. School starts in 3 days, Del, 3 days" Ashleigh said, emphasizing the last part, as if I hadn't known that myself.

Truth is that I did, and I was dreading it.

"Kira invited me to a party at the dells tonight It's sort of an 'End of Summer' Party" Ashleigh continued.

I rolled my eyes. I hated Kira. She was in my brother's grade, and dated a prick named Aaron Abbot. She was that type of girl that acted like she was your best friend to your face but started talking about you the second you turned your back. She was also Ashleigh's cousin.

"Are you going to go?" I asked, not really caring, but just trying to keep up the conversation.

"Only if you'll come with me."

I rolled my eyes. Like I said before I'm not the partying type.

Sensing my answer, Ashleigh started in again. "Oh come on, Del, let's just go for five minutes and if we absolutely hate it we'll leave."

I looked over at the pleading look in her eyes. _If she wants to go that bad…_

"Alright, alright." I agreed.

Ashleigh jumped in excitement.

"I'm tired of shopping, do you want to maybe go check out movie?" Ashleigh said as we threw our bags of clothes into the trunk of her Mercedes.

I agreed, I too was done with shopping for the day, and I didn't feel like going back home to do nothing for the rest of the day.

We were making our way down the street to the movie theatre when we passed by a lady outside of what looked like a newly opened hair salon, holding up a sign that said "**Free Makeovers**."

Forgetting about the movie, I looked over at Ashleigh who was looking over at me, grinning from ear to ear.

_What girl would refuse a free makeover_?

--

**3 Hours Later…**

_Holy shit_.

I looked at my new self in the mirror. My long straggly blonde hair was now sitting chin-length in a trendy bob. My normally yellow-blonde hair was platinum, with a few low-lights complimenting my still pale skin tone. My new bangs made my blue eyes stand out, and a few brush strokes of make-up made me feel and look like some sort of fashionista.

I looked over at my best friend, and was surprised once more. Normally Ashleigh never wears her long brown hair down. She normally pulls up in a tight ponytail, with her side bangs pushed aside. I couldn't help but gape at my best friend. She was hot.

Her voluminous hair was now standing just past her shoulders, slightly curled and a lighter shade of brown. She had caramel highlights weaving through her hair which complimented her eyes.

I sat there, in awe for a few moments, thinking of how wonderful wearing make-up and getting a new hair-do made me feel.


	3. Chapter 2: The Party

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Party**

**Story of A Girl**

* * *

We had made our way home from Boston, just in time to arrive to the party without being too late. With our new hair, make-up, and clothes Ashleigh and I felt pretty damn good. I was wearing a jean mini skirt, pink flip flops, and a pink tank top. Ashleigh was wearing a pair of washed out jeans, black converse, and a black halter top. Not only were we really feeling good, but we were _actually_ looking really good too.

"Hey look, there's Kira. Should I go say hi?" Ashleigh pointed over towards her slutty cousin, who was standing next to her prick of a boyfriend, Aaron Abbot. We were walking our way down into the dells, towards the bon fire, which happened to be in the middle of the party. People were staring. Which was weird. Ashleigh and I never turned heads, even if we were streaking buck naked through the school halls during lunch.

_I have to say, for a party celebrating the end of summer, there's a lot of people here._

"I'd prefer not to" I said looking around at the people who were already here. I spotted Kate Tunney, looking amazing in a pair of jeans and leather jacket. _Go figure_. She was with some blonde girl I hardly recognized. _Must be new. _There was a crowd gathered around the fire, dancing to the music, and drinking booze. I recognized a few people from my grade, but the majority of the people here, were about to be Seniors.

Ashleigh knew how I felt about her cousin. I never tried to hide my disgust for Kira. I made it a game, to point out three things I didn't like about that Kira at least once a day. Ashleigh, bound to her cousin by blood, never joined in. But I could tell she secretly enjoyed it.

"Her hair looks like it hasn't been brushed in three days." _One. _

"She's wearing a mid-drift bearing shirt which practically screams 'WHORE.'" _Two. _

"And she probably hasn't showered since school let out for the summer." _Three. _

Ashleigh didn't try to look annoyed, like she usually did, when I started my charades against her cousin. Instead, her attention was directed towards a group of four boys, making their way over to the party. The Sons of Ipswich. My brother and his three other friends. Standing on the far left, was Pogue fucking Parry. Kissing Kate fucking Tunney.

_Jesus Ashleigh, close your mouth, you're starting to drool. _

Ashleigh looked over at me, as if she knew what I was thinking. I pushed my platinum blonde locks behind my ears as I watched Pogue run his hands down Kate's back side. I turned my attention over to the dance floor, and after downing a Corona in one gulp, I uneasily started moving with the music, Ashleigh right behind me.

I wish I could tell you what I was doing, on that dance floor, but the truth is, I had no idea. I just started waving my hands around in the air and copied whatever it was that the people around me were doing. I felt like a twit, I probably looked like a twit, but it kept my attention off of Pogue and Kate. And plus I had a whole bottle of Corona, and I'm not a drinker. My mom is though. Whoops, probably shouldn't have said that.

Five minutes later, the Corona was starting to kick in, and I was feeling pretty good. Ashleigh and I made out way over to where Daniel, the kid who was held back a few five or six years and can buy beer legally now, was sitting with an ice cooler.

"Hey Daniellllll" I said, slurring my words slightly. "Can we get another beer please?"

Daniel looked at me as if he was trying to figure out who I was. Sadly, this wasn't the first time that this has happened.

"Adele Danvers, we're probably in the same grade now" I said without thinking. I heard Ashleigh giggle behind me.

"Yeah, I still don't know who you are but you're hot, so here you go." The red-headed kid handed me and Ashleigh each a cold bottle.

I looked over at Ashleigh and I laughed. "He called me hot."

"I know, I've never heard that before!" Ashleigh said making me laugh even harder.

--

**Twenty Minutes Later…**

"Who are they?" Reid's attention was turned towards two girls, dancing poorly to MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This."

"Dunno, but the blonde one is pretty hot." Tyler answered, his gaze fixed on the blonde beauty, who was now attempting to do the running man.

"I think it's about time we introduce ourselves, yeah?" Reid and Tyler made their way over towards the two girls… who were still dancing despite no songs being played.

--

"Hey Mr. DJ, turn the music on I want to dance with my bayyyyyyyybayyyy" Ashleigh was trying to stay on her feet as I sang to the song playing in my head.

"Hey there ladies" came a sultry voice from behind us.

"Hey I know that voice" I stated as loudly as I could. I turned around to see none other than Reid Garwin and Tyler Simms standing in front of Ashley and I. Looking completely and utterly shocked. Which is normally the reaction we get…

"REID… TYLER!" I yelled, jumping on top of the brunette, who by the way caught me with both arms.

"Adele?" I heard someone whisper. I think it was Tyler. Yeah, it was Tyler.

"What's up you whiny bitches?" I laughed as I said this.

"Who are you and why haven't we met?" Reid asked with amusement. Ashleigh just giggled and kept on dancing.

"You two look… so different" Tyler said as he put me down and helped me stand up. Tyler was looking at me weirdly. Or maybe it was just me. Maybe I was looking at Tyler weirdly. I couldn't tell.

"You're also extremely drunk" Reid pointed out.

"No shit Sherlock. Don't tell my brother." I was starting to feel a little queasy. "Oh shit, I'm gonna puke" I practically screamed. What can I say? I've never been drunk before.

"Shit, dude, grab her" Reid pointed out as I started falling over.

Tyler grabbed a hold of me and turned his head as I puked all over his shoes and the ground. I'm not sure how long I had been puking, but Tyler held me there, rubbing my back as everything I had eaten that day came forward.

"Ha-ha, Adele's puking" I heard Ashleigh laugh in the background.

"Guys, hey guys" The DJ guy started saying. "Dylan just called, he said he saw three cop cars on their way towards Old Dell Road."

"Oh fuck, this can't be happening." Reid yelled.

I looked over and saw a bunch of bodies running in all directions. And that's all I remember because that was when I blacked out.

--

woke up in what seemed like a moving vehicle. I'm not sure how I got there but I was in most definitely in a moving car. I opened my eyes and looked around. _This looks like Ashleigh's car_. I turned around and saw that Ashleigh was laying down, covering the length of the back seat. _If Ashleigh's laying in the back, who's driving? _I looked over to the driver's seat and saw Reid concentrating on the road.

"What the f-" I was about to freak out. How did Reid get into Ashleigh's car?

"Adele, shut up. You're drunk." I looked over at Reid who looked like he was angry. "You're lucky I didn't tell Caleb. He'd kill you."

"Yeah but now that you know I'm drunk and you didn't tell him, he'd kill you too" I bluntly pointed out. Reid couldn't win with me. I was still pissed at him for that whole super powers incident a few years back.

He didn't say anything.

"What happened?" I sat up straight, adjusting my sore body the best I could.

"Cops came to bust up the party. You got plastered, threw up in every direction, mainly on Baby Boy, and then passed out."

"How'd I get to the car?" I was confused.

"Baby Boy carried you."

"Why do you call Tyler that?"

"'Cuz he's the youngest. What's with all the questions?"

"Just curious." I was still a little tipsy, but not nearly as bad as I was earlier. "Hey Reid?"

"Whaaaat?" I could tell I was annoying him now.

"Thanks."

"You tell anyone I did this, Del, and I'll kill you."

I laughed. "No you won't."

"True, but it doesn't mean I won't try."

"That's right, you've got a reputation to protect." I teased him.

"Best believe it, Adele. Best believe it."

"Hey Reid?"

"Oh come on! What now?" I could tell Reid was _really_ annoyed now.

I giggled. "How are you going to get me home without my brother finding out."

Reid stayed silent. I knew he hadn't thought about that part.

"I'll use." And that's exactly what he did. I ended up being in Ashleigh's car one second and then laying down in my bedroom the next. It's times like these, that I wished I had magic powers.


	4. Chapter 3: The Blue Eyed Boy

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Blue-Eyed Boy**

**Story of A Girl**

* * *

I woke up the next day with a splitting headache and a sour stomach. I made my way towards the kitchen to find an entire bottle of aspirin, which I planned on taking, when I was stopped by my brother.

"Hey sis." He looked at me questioningly, as if he knew I was hung over.

"Hey" I said, stepping aside him towards my destination. I needed that aspirin, and I needed it now.

"Looking for this?" He raised an eyebrow and held out a hand. In his hand, was a bottle of Advil. Just what I wanted.

"Yes, thanks" I said reaching for the bottle.

He moved his hands away.

"Caleb, come on! I need the damn Advil." If he was trying to be funny, it wasn't working. I was in no mood for a laugh.

"How'd you get home last night?"

"Reid drove me home."

Caleb frowned and handed me the bottle. I smiled, popping two pills into my mouth. If I was going to get in trouble, I might as well take one of the Sons with me.

"Adele." His tone was serious. "I know you're young and everything, but I mean, drinking doesn't make you look cool. Just look at mom." He was starting to trail off.

"Caleb, I drank two beers. TWO BEERS." I held up two fingers to prove my point. "I threw up all over Tyler, I made an ass out of myself dancing, and I didn't even get laid." I threw the third reason in there just to get a reaction out of my brother. "Come on already!" I threw my hands up, for dramatic effect.

"Who'd you plan on sleeping with?" I could tell Caleb was uncomfortable asking me that question. But I decided to play along with it.

"The entire football team. I was just going to have them form a line and be like 'Tag you're it' and let them take turns. 'Ready, set, fuck.'" I laughed nervously. _I really need to stop talking._

Caleb's expression was priceless. It looked as though his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. His face went a deep shade of red, (whether it was embarrassment, anger, or both I couldn't tell), and he balled his hands up into fists.

"I'm just kidding." Truth is, he was starting to scare me. Caleb and I weren't close, but he was still over-protective of me. Although I've never really seen that side of him before, because like I said, I'm not much of a partier; hence I never come home drunk.

Let's just say "trouble" is not my middle name.

Caleb reached forward and touched the ends of my hair. "When'd you get your hair cut?" He asked. I was a little shocked to find that he had noticed.

"Yesterday." I didn't want to talk anymore. I just wanted to sleep.

"I've got to go run some errands for mom and dad. Want to come?" I was about to shake my head no. I think Caleb sensed that, because he added, "After that I'm gonna stop by Nicky's. Pogue will be there."

"Okay I'll go." The words stumbled out of my mouth faster than I had actually thought them.

If Pogue was going to be there, so was I.

--

An hour later my brother and I were on our way towards the drug store. "So when is mom going to take me to pick out my car?" I asked, as I looked around my brother's new mustang. I had turned 16 a few months ago and I had my license, but I had yet to get my car. My mom kept promising to buy me one, but she has issues, and never really had the time to take me yet.

"You know how mom is. How about I take you next weekend?" Caleb looked over at me. I know he felt guilty about mom and everything, but he really didn't have to play the father figure role to me. I wasn't that young anymore. I could handle things on my own.

"You don't have to Caleb." I mumbled, a little upset.

"No, I don't mind. It'll be fun. We can bond." The look on Caleb's face was so serious. We both cracked up laughing.

"Alright, next weekend then?"

"Next weekend it is."

We pulled up to the drug store and got out. "Do you know what kind of car you want?" He was making small talk as we waited for my dad's prescription to be filled.

I was interrupted though, by the girl that had stolen the man of my dreams; Kate Tunney.

"Oh hey Caleb!" She ran up to my brother and gave him a hug. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh hi Adele, I didn't recognize you there. You look really pretty." She said as she turned around and gave me a hug. God, what was wrong with me. _Why can't I hate her?_

"Oh hey, Sarah this is my little sister, Adele. Adele this is Sarah." I looked over at the girl my brother was introducing me to. She was around my height, long wavy blonde hair, petite figure, and really pretty. I recognized her as the girl that was with Kate at the party last night. She smiled and shook my hand.

"BOO!" A figure wearing gay sunglasses kept out from behind us.

"JESUS CHRIST!" I yelled, louder than I had intended too.

Everyone cracked up laughing. Everyone except for me. I was still clutching my chest, hoping my heart rate would climb down.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you there. I'm Chase." The asshole that scared me held out his hand.

"I'm gone" I said as I ignored his hand and walked out the door. My heart rate was still buzzing when my brother caught up to me. I hate when people do that.

"You okay?" Sarah was following behind him. I nodded my head. "Sarah's going to come with us, to run some errands" he said, turning his attention to the other blonde.

Oh great, I'll be playing third wheel.

We drove in silence. Caleb was driving, Sarah was in the passenger seat, and I was in the back. I'm not going to lie. It was awkward.

We pulled up to Gorman's and Caleb got out. "I'll just be a few minutes" he said and took off without me. He never liked letting me see my dad. I always got emotional when I saw him, so I guess that was Caleb's way of protecting me.

"So Caleb said you go Spenser's as well" Sarah was nice. I automatically decided that I liked her. Well, for now at least.

"Yeah, I'm a junior." I said, not sure what else to say. I wasn't good at socializing.

"So, do you have a boyfriend?" She smiled, a small giggle escaping her lips.

_Should I answer this truthfully or should I not?_

"No, I've got a bunch of girlfriends though. I don't like to settle down with just one chick." Now I was just messing with her. Before she could say anything else, I interrupted. "I'm just kidding. I don't have a boyfriend. And I'm not gay either." I looked over and saw a smile creep up on her face.

"You're a smartass. I like that." We laughed.

--

About an hour later we pulled up to Nicky's. I had text messaged Ashleigh and had told her to meet me out front, and as we pulled past the front of the bar and into the back parking lot I saw my best friend waiting for me. I flipped her off and smiled like the Cheshire Cat as we drove by, and then laughed seeing how her reaction changed from happy to pissed in 0.2 seconds. Caleb and Sarah probably thought I was nuts.

I hopped out of the back seat and met up with her.

"What was that for?" She wasn't happy.

I laughed and pulled her inside. It was still fairly early, around nine, but the place was packed. We looked around for an empty table, but there wasn't one.

"Hey look, you're boyfriend's mistress is waving us over." Ashleigh could be funny when she wanted to be. Right now, she was far from it.

Sure enough, Ashleigh was right. Kate was waving us over to her to table. Where she was sitting. With Pogue. Who looked like God.

I sighed as I felt Ashleigh pull me towards the table. I noticed that asshole that nearly scared me half to death at the drug store, was sitting there as well. Caleb and Sarah were busy talking animatedly towards the end of the table, with Pogue sitting in between Caleb and Kate.

"Hey Adele" Kate greeted me. "Doesn't she look amazing?" She was asking everyone at the table. _God, I hate how much I liked her._

My heart skipped a beat when I saw Pogue nodding his head, in agreement. I was able to catch myself before I started day dreaming about mine and Pogue's wedding day.

"This is my friend, Ashleigh" I said introducing her to the group at the table.

"Hey Gone, how'd your day go?" The creep greeted me as Ashleigh and I took the remaining two empty seats at the table.

"Gone?" Ashleigh looked confused.

I rolled my eyes and ignored him.

"Looks like Reid and Tyler are here" I heard Pogue say to my brother. They were now playing foosball, the creepy Chase guy watching them, leaving only the girls at the table.

I looked over and saw that Reid and Tyler were indeed here as well. They were playing pool with what looked like Aaron Abbot. Weird, I never knew they were friends. I thought they hated each other.

"Hey Adele, I was talking to Pogue last night and he said that Tyler couldn't stop talking about you?" Kate was grinning. Tyler? Tyler Simms was talking about me?

"Really? What'd he say?" I was curious. I don't think anyone of the opposite sex has ever talked about me, let alone even noticed me before.

"Pogue told me he was just asking if you were single." I heard Ashleigh and Sarah spontaneously 'ooo' in the background.

I couldn't help but blush. Tyler Simms was asking if I was single?

Tyler was gorgeous, but he was also one of my brother's friends. I had never thought of him in that way before. All I ever think about was Pogue. Pogue and his longish brown hair, hazel eyes, lean body… _He has a girlfriend! What am I doing?_

"Earth to Adele" Ashleigh was waving her hands in my face, snapping me out of my daydream.

"What, huh?" I asked. I was confused.

"Someone's thinking about Tyler" Kate teased._ If only she knew I was actually thinking about her boyfriend with no shirt on, I wonder if she'd still be teasing me then._

I looked over at the pool tables, where Tyler and Reid were playing. Tyler _is_ kind of cute. He has that whole clean-cut look going on. And he's sort of shy. I like shy. I like it a lot.

"You should go talk to him!" Sarah exclaimed, as she watched me glance in his direction.

Before I could object, I was being pushed by Ashleigh towards the pool tables. Jesus Christ, here goes nothing.

"Come on Aaron, you bet that he couldn't make that shot and he did. Now pay up." I heard Tyler say in the sternest voice he could manage. Maybe they weren't friend's with Abbot and his crew after all.

"Let's play again, this time double or nothing." Aaron's reply came a little too quick, as if he was unsure of himself.

"Hey" I said as I passed both Tyler and Reid and took a seat on a bar stool nearby.

"Hey" they greeted back. Reid's attention was instantly turned towards Ashleigh who was standing by my side. "Ashleigh, right?" He stuck out his hand. I rolled my eyes. Reid was always hitting on the girls. And as of yesterday afternoon, Ashleigh and I were apart of the 'girl' category. At least, it felt as though we were. My eyes were glued to Tyler._ And his ass. His perfect, jean-clad, ass. What am I doing? It's Tyler for crying out loud._

"Yeah, it's Ashleigh" she giggled. She was falling for the Garwin charm. Most girls did, anyways.

I noticed that Tyler seemed a little tense. He was focusing way to much on that game of pool. He took his shot and a striped ball made it's way into the hole. I laughed as I suppressed the urge to point out the sexual pun. Tyler turned around and looked at me.

"What's so funny?" He asked, his blue eyes gazing down at mine.

"Balls" was all I could manage to say. _Tyler Simms was making me nervous!_

Reid and Ashleigh cracked up. Tyler chuckled too, but turned his attention back towards the game. _Why did I have to say that? He's going to think I'm perverted._

After Tyler and Reid had kicked Aaron and his friend's asses at the game, Ashleigh yawned. She was getting tired, and since Caleb and Sarah had already left, she was my only ride.

"Do you want to go?" She said, yawning yet again, as if to point out the obvious.

I looked over at Tyler, who was waiting for me to answer.

"You know I'm tired too, do you mind giving me a lift?" Reid asked Ashleigh. I knew what Reid was up to. He was obvious. He's such a slut.

"If you're not tired, I can give you a ride home later, if you want?" Tyler looked down at his feet as he said that.

"Yeah, I'm not tired at all." I watched as Ashleigh and Reid made their way out of the bar.

"Wanna play?" Tyler's voice broke my gaze. I looked up into those baby blue's and nearly melted on my stool.

"Sure" I said, taking the extra pool stick. "I've never played before though."

"I'll show you." He followed me around to the other side of the pool table and leaned up against my back. "You're holding this all wrong." He started adjusting my hands. I started adjusting my legs. I wasn't too sure if that burning sensation I was feeling was normal or not.

"Uhh okay" I stuttered out. His face was literally inches away from my face. I had to fight the urge to throw myself at him, then and there onto that pool table, because other people were still there.

"Here, try it now." He leaned away from my body. I was slightly disappointed. Unfortunately, I had not meant to say that last part out loud. Which I did.

"Why are you slightly disappointed?" He leaned his back against the pool table, now facing me.

I could feel my face turning red. "I.. Umm.. I… Don't… Know." God, I'm such an idiot.

Tyler must have thought so too, because he asked me if I was feeling okay.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I said, hoping that he couldn't catch the nervousness of my voice. "Oh and about last night, I'm sorry about throwing up all over your shoes."

We both looked down at his shoes. Weird.

"It's cool, don't worry about it."

"You're not wearing the same pair thought, right?" If he was that would be gross. And plus, I couldn't think of anything else to say.

"No, I they weren't too new anyways so I threw them away." He looked at me again, with those damned perfect eyes.

I yawned.

"Are you tired?" He sounded slightly offended.

"No, you're boring me." I felt like slapping myself the second I said those words.

Tyler laughed.

"I'm just kidding. I am tired though." Damn it, I wasn't tired, I was just nervous.

"Let's get you back home then. Caleb would kill me if we stayed any later."

"Yeah, after what I told him about the football team I think it's safe to say he'd be serving you your very own balls on a silver platter."

Tyler looked amused. "Football team?" He asked as he opened the door to his car for me to get in. Chivalry is sexy.

I really need to think before I speak.

"My brother was pissed that I got drunk off of two beers last night and to piss him off even more I told him I did it because I wanted to get laid by the entire football team."

Tyler's laugh echoed inside his huge car. "You got that drunk off of two beers?"

I blushed. "What can I say, I'm a light-weight."

"So…" He practically sighed out.

"So…" I mimicked him.

"Can I ask why you cut you're hair?" He looked over at me and then back on the road.

For once, I was speechless. I didn't know how to answer that. So instead, I did what I was good at. Speaking without thinking.

"I was tired of not being noticed. I hated the way people ignored me, I hated never being noticed by the one person I wanted to notice me the most." I couldn't believe I was saying this. And my disbelief kept getting bigger because my mouth just wouldn't stop moving. "It's not very fun being the geeky little sister of one of the most popular boys in the school."

From what I could tell, Tyler looked serious. It was dark out, he could have been laughing for all I know. But I liked to think he was looking serious.

"You didn't go unnoticed." His voice was soft as he pulled up into my driveway. "Not by me, at least." He said that last part very quietly. I was sure he had not intended for me to hear it.

My eyes went wide. Did I just hear that right?

"It's getting late, and like you said, your brother would kill me. You should probably get inside."

"Yeah," I agreed. I looked over at Tyler, who was looking serious. "Thanks for the ride Tyler."

"Anytime."

With that, I got out of his hummer, and made my way inside my house. _What did he mean that I never went unnoticed by him?_

--

"Today's our last day of summer!" Ashleigh threw herself onto my bed in an exasperated cry. It was dramatic. _What can I say? Ashleigh was an addict for dramatics_.

"I know, I know." I sighed. I was slowly unpacking all the school supplies Ashleigh and I had bought at the office supply store just a few hours ago. Binders, pencils, paper, stuff we actually needed for our classes tomorrow. I loved shopping for these kinds of things. I guess that's another factor of my nerdiness.

"So not to change the subject," Ashleigh began. "Actually, yeah, to change the subject, what do you think Tyler meant by what he said to you last night?" Ashleigh was now laying on her stomach on my bed, head propped up by her hands, with her feet kicking freely in the air.

I looked at her through the mirror above my desk and rolled my eyes. "I probably didn't hear him right." It was true. I could barely make out his words, but I seriously did think he said that I never went unnoticed by him.

Before Ashleigh and I could finish our thoughts, Caleb burst through the door.

"Ever hear of knocking." I hated how he always did that. I always knocked twice, before I entered his room. It was like common courtesy. An unspoken rule.

"Sorry, I forgot." He shrugged his shoulders. "Look, the boys and I are going to have dinner tonight at the Mexican restaurant a few blocks from Nicky's. I.. actually a few of us… were wondering if the two of you wanted to come along. I mean, it is the last day of Summer for you both too…"

"WE'D LOVE TO" Ashleigh practically shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Sure, I guess." I agreed. Who would turn down Mexican food? And wherever my brother goes, Pogue follows. Two reasons why tonight was going to be good.

As soon as my brother left my room Ashleigh squealed.

"You do know he's got a thing for Sarah. And she's probably going to be there." I rolled me eyes, more at myself than at my friend. If Sarah was there, than so would be Kate.

"Shut up, I can still day dream can't I?" "But it's Caleb. My brother." I shook off all the nasty thoughts before I even thought them. "Let's get ready shall we?"

--

And then we spent the two hours before dinner getting ready. I had never spent so much time getting ready before. But after the having the free makeovers the other day, I found that I actually liked taking the time to look nice. I liked how a few brush stokes of blush and lip gloss could invigorate my sprit. Ashleigh decided on a black jean miniskirt, a black tank top, a silver belt, with matching silver flip flips and a sequined embroidered headband. I eventually decided on a black cocktail dress with satin pumps, which I had bought a few days before, in Boston.

"Hey Ashleigh" I said as we both were leaning closer to the mirror, applying our makeup for the night. I couldn't take my eyes off of my body. I had never been like that before. It's amazing how one insecurity can lead to another.

"What?" She asked, putting the cap back on her lipstick applicator.

"Do you think I'm fat?" I asked, looking down at my thighs.

"If you're fat, than so is everyone else." She said flatly. I couldn't brush off the thought of her just saying that because she didn't want to tell me I was really fat. I had never noticed it before, but my thighs were definitely huge. _I need to start working out_.

--

The restaurant was an upscale Mexican themed fiesta. The lights were dimmed, sombrero's were used as a centerpiece on every table, and a live mariachi band was playing towards the corner of the restaurant, near the bar.

Ashleigh and I followed Caleb in, and took our seats towards the center of the table. I was sitting next to Kate (go figure) and Ashleigh. Tyler and Reid were sitting across from us.

"Hey" I managed to say to everyone in general as I took my seat.

Kate giggled. I looked over at her and she smiled. I also noticed that Kate was nursing a frozen drink. Obviously, not a smoothie. As I looked around the entire table, everyone except for my brother, Ashleigh, and I had a drink. Obviously this was supposed to be a celebration of some kind. Why they wanted to celebrate the end of summer, I didn't know. All I knew is that I didn't have a frozen beverage, but I wanted one. _This is going to be a long night_.

"Hey Gone" I heard to the left of me. It was Chase. _This guy just doesn't get it does he? _

"Hello" I said, shortly. Might as well be somewhat pleasant if I was going to be having dinner with this freak.

"Hey Adele." Tyler smiled at me. _Tyler, Tyler, Tyler. _He could be so cute when he wanted to be. And right now, he looked so cute. In just jeans and a blue button down shirt that matched his eyes, he looked so much older than he did the previous night. And I mean that in a good way. A _very_ good way. _What am I doing? This is Tyler, I shouldn't be thinking of him in that way._

"Hey" I said, my voice a little scratchier than before, when I had greeted Captain Asshole Who Nearly Scared Me Half To Death A Few Days Ago.

"Reid." Ashleigh 'greeted' the playboy sitting across from her.

I looked between the two. Something must have happened between the two of them last night because they weren't even making eye contact.

"Ashleigh" he replied in the same tone she had said his name. Without waiting for an answer or anything he then got up and made his way over to the bar. I had a feeling Reid was going to be at the bar quite a bit tonight.

As I leaned over to ask Ashleigh what happened she raised an eyebrow at me as if she knew what I was going to say. "Don't ask." And she looked away.

"Okkay" I said and I saw Tyler glance at the two of us before returning his gaze to the menu.

After everyone (except for myself) had finished up their meals, Kate stood up to make an announcement. I had ordered what looked like the lightest meal on the menu, and although I was still very hungry, I had managed to eat only half of it. And I was starting to feel guilty for eating as much as I had when my thought's were interrupted by Kate.

"Everyone, please this will only take a minute." She was looking over at Reid, who was still hanging out at the bar. "Last night, Pogue and I were talking about… us."

She smiled and looked over at Pogue who was gazing at her. I wanted to puke.

"And we decided that next year, after we graduate, we're going to get married!"

I heard a bunch of gasps and "I'm so happy for you both" comments from everyone but I felt like I was about to suffocate.

Instead of getting up and giving Kate a hug like Sarah and Ashleigh were doing, I got up, and ran out of the restaurant. _This can't be happening! _I kept thinking to myself as I ran as far away from that place as I could.

--

I don't know how long I had been running, or how far I had gotten (I mean I was wearing pumps for crying out loud), but I was soon out of breathe. I stopped myself and sat down on the curb of the sidewalk, I was still downtown, but I had no idea where. As my breathing started to become more regular and I had finally calmed myself down, I saw a figure running in my direction. As the figure started inching closer, I was able to see it was none other than Tyler Simms. _What the hell does he want?_

"Hey" he said, out of breathe, as he took a seat next to me on the side of the curb.

"Hey" I said, returning my gaze to the street.

"You wanna talk about it?" He was able to say the sentence in full, without having to gasp for air.

"Talk about what?" I was playing dumb.

"Talk about why you ran out of the restaurant after Kate announced her engagement to Pogue… Pogue being the guy you like." Tyler said the last part a little sarcastically. I wasn't sure if there was a double meaning behind that.

"Everyone probably thinks I'm such an idiot." I could feel the tears wanting to break free and fall. But I was trying my best to hold them back.

"Probably."

Despite being shy and extremely sexy, Tyler Simms was funny. _Who knew? Tyler's not sexy. Stop thinking that._

"I don't know why I did that. To be honest." Here I go again, pouring my heart out to one of my brother's best friends. _Why I do this, I couldn't tell you. _

"It's just not a very good feeling…" I started but Tyler seemed to know what I was thinking because he finished my sentence.

"To like someone who doesn't like you back." He finished for me.

"So then you too, knows what it feels like." I said, a little in disbelief. Maybe Tyler and I had more in common than I had thought.

"I guess you can say that." He looked sad. I wanted to hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay, but in all honesty, I don't know if everything's going to be okay.

"How do we know everything's going to work out the way it's supposed to?" I started to rant. "What if the way things work out is not the way I wanted it to go?" I don't know why I was saying this. But I really didn't expect an answer. I guess, I said them rhetorically.

"We don't know. I guess that's just were faith comes in." He answered my rhetorical question.

"You're a good friend, Tyler." I said, surprising myself. _Tyler, a friend?_

"Thanks, you're a good friend too." He said, looking even more sad than before. I really felt for him. Whoever this girl was, that was making him feel this way, was an idiot. I'd kill her myself if I knew who she was.

I was about to ask him about the girl that's making him feel that way, when I saw another figure running towards us. _Tall, lean, and longish sexy hair_. Oh my God! It was Pogue.

He stopped when he reached us and looked over at Tyler. "Hey man, can I talk to Adele alone for a minute?" He asked, leaning over to catch his breathe.

Tyler looked over at me and then back at Pogue. "Sure." He said, sadly, and got up. "Adele, I'll wait for you at the restaurant. Caleb and Sarah left early." He said, as he turned around and started walking in the direction Pogue had come from.

I couldn't look at Pogue. I was embarrassed. I was nervous. And I was about to cry. Of all people, I didn't want _him_ to see me cry.

"Hey." He said, as he took the seat Tyler had previously occupied.

"Hi." Was all I managed to say to him.

We sat there for a few minutes without saying anything. I think he was trying to figure out what to say in the first place. I, of course, was frozen on the spot.

"I'm sorry you had to find out that way." He broke the silence. A few more minutes of silence passed by. "I love her."

I swallowed. The lump in my throat just seemed to keep getting bigger and bigger. I really thought I was seconds away from choking on it.

"You're my best friend's little sister Adele." He continued. I knew I wasn't going to like this conversation. "And as beautiful as I think you are, you'll always be like a little sister to me." _Wait, did he just say he thought I was beautiful? _

I looked over at him and saw that he was playing with his hands. I'm sure this conversation wasn't easy for him either.

"I know." I was feeling slightly more confident. "I'm sorry I ran out like that."

Pogue smiled. I smiled back at him.

"We can still be friends?" I asked him, hoping he wouldn't ask if we were ever friends in the first place.

"Of course" he said and I let out a sigh of relief. "And plus, I think Tyler's got a little thing for you."

He laughed as my eyes got big. "Oh come on now, like you didn't notice. That boy took off faster than you did."

"That's Tyler though. He does that for everyone." I spoke bluntly. It was true. Tyler was just the type of guy that made sure everyone was okay. _Tyler is just genuinely a nice guy._

"I don't think he would have done that for anyone else." Pogue spoke slyly. "Anyways, lets get you back there. You're knight in shining amour is waiting with your carriage M'Lady."

I got up and walked with Pogue in silence back to the Mexican restaurant barefoot. How I had managed to run that far in heels is beyond my comprehension. I really _had_ run far off, because it took us a good twenty minutes to get back to that restaurant. And we were walking at a fast pace. _Maybe I should join the track team?_

--

"Thanks Pogue" I said as I made my way over to Tyler, who was leaning against his hummer, waiting for us.

"Anytime." Pogue spoke as he threw on his helmet and started up his bike.

"Hey, you okay?" Tyler asked me as we started we started driving towards my place.

"Yeah, I'm okay. You know I never really thought Pogue and I could be together anyways." I was looking out of the window, watching the trees, as we drove past through them.

"And why's that?"

"Because I've never really been much of anything." _Shit, why do I do this with Tyler? First last night, and now again. The poor kid probably thinks I'm some depressing lunatic. Wait, maybe I am?_

"Why do you say that stuff about yourself?" I turned over to Tyler, who had turned off the radio.

"It's how I feel." I was being blunt. I was always blunt. That's just how I am. "Do you think I'm fat?" I'm also random, as well.

"What are you talking about? You're stick thin!" He threw his arms up, as if that would help prove his point.

"Do you think you're fat?" This time he was asking me.

"I think a lot of things." I replied, shortly. I didn't really want to get into this with him. But the second I said that, I couldn't help it. I started sobbing.

Tyler slowed his hummer down until it was at a complete stop on the side of the road. He unfastened his seat belt and slid closer to me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me towards him.

It was comforting.

And without thinking, I broke the only comforting feeling I've had in a long while, and replaced it with an awkward and stupid question. "Tyler, do you think I'm pretty?"

I could see his hesitation in the way he swallowed. I shouldn't have asked him that. He obviously didn't think so, otherwise he would have answered right away. I looked down at my feet, which was becoming a habit the more I hung out with Tyler. "It's okay, you don't have to answer that." I spoke softly. My crying had stopped now, and I was thankful for that. It was one thing to break down in front of someone I barely knew, but it was another when that person happened to be someone you respected.

"Adele-" Tyler started but I cut him off.

"No really, Tyler. It's okay. I shouldn't have asked you that question in the first place." It was true, I had no right to put him on the spot like that. Of all people, he didn't deserve that.

Sadly, I did feel slightly rejected when I felt Tyler move back towards the drivers seat. I had expected rejection anyways, but it still hurt.

We drove in silence all the way to my house, which was at least a good ten minutes away from where we had stopped. I felt stupid, embarrassed, and slightly jaded. I could only imagine how Tyler was feeling.

He pulled up to my driveway like he did the night before and as I was about to close the door shut after getting out, Tyler surprised me. "I think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

I shut his car door without hearing anything else. I didn't _want _to hear anything else. He was just saying that because he knew I had felt rejected, first with Pogue and Kate, and now with him. Besides, what else would you tell your best friend's little sister?

I was about to open the front door of my house but was pulled around by a pair of arms. It was Tyler.

"Adele, I meant what I said." _Was this really happening? Did Tyler really think I was pretty? Probably not._

"It's okay Tyler. I'm Caleb's geeky little sister, I get it." I turned to open the door, but was turned around, yet again.

This time no words we spoken. Instead, Tyler leaned in and kissed me. Softly. Gently.

He pulled away rather quickly. I was shocked. _Did he just really do that?_

"You have to learn to love yourself before someone else can." And that was it. Tyler turned around, got into his hummer, and drove away. I stood there, on my front porch, completely frozen and confused.


	5. Chapter 4: The Binge

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Binge**

**Story of A Girl**

* * *

I'm not sure when I had picked myself up from that spot I sat frozen to on the front porch, but I found myself up in my bathroom, puking up the remainder of my dinner into the toilet. I cried as I stuck my finger down my throat, waiting for the gagging reflex, the familiar burning sensation in my stomach, and then the vomit flowing out of my mouth.

I couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened this weekend. My entire summer, I had spent reading trashy romance novels and watching crappy made for TV movies. I avoided all things social. My weekends had consisted of people watching out of my bedroom window and internet surfing. I avoided Ashleigh, my only real friend, because I just wanted to crawl up and hide in my dark and comfortable room. And here I am, short platinum blonde hair and all. In just one weekend, my life has completely done a 180 degree turn. If I blink, I might miss something.

I stood myself up, holding onto the sink counter as support, slightly dizzy from what I had just done to my body, and reached for my toothbrush. As I brushed my teeth, for the third time that night, I couldn't turn my gaze from my body in the mirror. My forehead was slightly higher than it should be, my nose may have been turned too upright. My arms needed to be toned, my stomach could do with less flab and a little more fab, and my thighs… Ugh, my thighs. I've always hated them. I managed to extend my feet, so now I was standing on my tip toes. I wish I could be just a few inches taller too. Ugh, I needed to work on this body of mine.

I spit the remaining toothpaste out into the sink and reached for a glass of water to rinse my mouth. That's when I noticed how bloodshot my eyes were. Maybe I just needed to get some sleep. And that's exactly what I did, after I laid out my all too familiar Spencer's Academy uniform on the desk across from my bed, and laid down. I was perfectly content, off in my own little world, where I can drink as many White Mocha's from Starbucks and not gain a pound, where all the boys want me, and all the girls want to be me. A place, where I am someone. Someone special, someone deserving, and someone happy. A place that belonged to me, and only me. A place that existed only in my dreams.

--

_I don't care how late I am, I'm not going to run. I'll look like an idiot, and that's the last thing I want._

I was walking, as fast as I could manage, though the never ending halls of Spencer's Academy. I was late for my first class of the year, Calculus. Math, first thing in the morning, is not exactly a good way to start the day. And the very fact that I'm late, is only make my predicament a lot worse.

_There it is_, I smiled to myself as I saw room 123 in big bold letters, standing just a few inches in front of me.

**BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP**.

_Shit, the late bell had just rung_. I swung open the doors and looked around. I spotted Ashleigh sitting in the very front of the class, with a spare seat open. Figures, it has to be in front of the damn class.

I took a deep breathe and made my way to the front. I sat down and looked around. I spotted my brother and Pogue sitting a few seats behind us. I'm in the same class as my brother. _Sucks for him. _

"Where's Mr. Anderson?" I asked Ashleigh, as the two of us looked around the older classroom for our teacher.

"He's not here yet." I sighed, out of relief. Maybe today wasn't going to start off so bad after all.

I looked back at my brother and waved, a smile creeping on my face. _He's never going to live this down, having the same math class as his little sister. _He saw me waving and semi-waved back. I think he might have been signaling for me to turn around, I'm not too sure. Someone unfortunetly familiar popped into my view.

"Well, little Miss Danvers got her hair cut. Isn't that nice." Kira, the bitch, spat out in front of me. "Funny, what a little cut to the hair can do to oneself." And she sat down, in the seat directly behind me.

"Tell me this, Kira. How does it feel being in a calculus class, with classmates years younger than you?" I smiled as fakly as I could. _I hated this bitch. I hated her a lot_.

"Ah-hem" someone coughed at the front of the classroom. I turned around and took my seat. Mr. Anderson decided to show up after all.

Despite being math, and strictly boring, I found myself enjoying my first period of the day. We were paired up in groups, and Ashleigh, Kira, Aaron, and I were ironically paired up. I found that voicing my slightly disappointing opinions of Kira was rather therapeutic. I felt like a million bucks when I called her a flapped-face farce. Of course, I had no idea what that means, and I'm pretty sure if I did, I wouldn't use it as an insult, but it made Ashleigh start to crack up. And that, was the highlight of first period.

My second and third classes for the day, English and History, were pretty boring. Ashleigh was in my classes with me, which made me feel a little more at ease, but the classes themselves were boring. It was the first day too, when all the teachers talk about themselves, their families, their hobbies (which I'm 99 positive they're only bullshitting us about anyways), and yet I found myself staring at the clock, waiting for the bell to ring signaling the end of class.

--

Finally, lunch came around and I found myself exhausted. I had not eaten anything all day and I was starving. Ashleigh decided on a cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate shake. I _hated_ how she could eat anything she wanted and stay that size two forever. I went with my rabbit food of choice, salad with no dressing and a bottled water, and made my way towards the tables. We looked around and found that all the tables were full. Except for one, but I would die before I sat with Kate. Especially after everything that happened yesterday.

"Want to eat outside, it's nice out?" I suggested and my friend agreed.

We walked over towards a shaded area of the grass, just surrounding the outside quad and began talking about our day so far. We were so in conversation that we didn't see a group of boys come over and sit down next to us.

"So you're Kira's cousin?" A boy, wearing a letterman jacket, interrupted our conversation. It was Aaron Abbot. Sans Kira.

"Ashleigh." She stuck out her hand and he shook it. I couldn't believe she was being civil to this guy. He was such a creep.

"You both look so different." I'm not sure if he was trying to compliment us or not, but I doubted it. Aaron was only nice to girls if he wanted something. And all Aaron ever wants is ass.

"Hi, I'm Trevor" One of Aaron's crew stuck out his hand, mimicking Ashleigh's earlier hand move.

"Adele" I shook his hand. He could never get into my pants, but it might be nice, rejecting someone else for once.

"I'm sorry I don't recognize you." He was outspoken. I liked that. Minus the part he was friend's with Aaron. "Is that all you're eating?" He looked down at my tray of salad. I had barely touched it.

I took a sip of water and shrugged. "Not really hungry." I answered him. I've never been one for lying. As a matter of fact, I hated liars. But this was different. If I tell myself I'm not hungry, it might work.

"Hey you're on the swim team aren't you?" I asked him, recognizing the last name on his jacket.

"Yeah, I'm not one of the best, like your brother and his friends, but I'm pretty good." He said that middle part a little to sarcastic for my liking. So I decided to ignore him. I stood up and went back into the cafeteria, to throw away my uneaten salad and put my tray away. As I opened the door, I was bumped aside.

"Let me help you with that." It was Trevor again. At least the kid has manners.

"Really, it's okay. I don't mind." I was gripping onto the tray as hard as I could.

Trevor reached up and took a hold of the tray. "Really, I don't mind." He tugged a little, to lessen my grip, and the next thing I new the tray was in his hands and my salad was all over me. Thank God I didn't top it off with dressing.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." He said, as the entire cafeteria looked over to see what the commotion was all about.

I brushed off the lettuce and shrugged. "It's cool, don't worry about it." I could feel everyone's gaze on me.

"I'm just going to go clean up a bit now." I said slowly as I made my way back out of the door and towards the hall. Spencer's was a big prep school. One long hallway just led to another long one, which led to another long one, and so forth. Just getting to the nearest bathroom was at least a mile walk. Well maybe not a _whole_ mile but you get my point.

Soon after, I heard footsteps catching up to me. "Look Trevor," I said without looking back, "I said I'm fine. I don't need you walking me back to the bathrooms. And I'm pretty sure I'm not going to have sex with you in the handicapped stall."

"Who's Trevor?" Oh, shit. That was not Trevor's voice.

I turned my head slightly and saw Tyler walking up next to me, head slightly tilted, waiting for my answer.

"The idiot that threw my salad all over me." I turned the corner and headed towards the direction of the bathrooms.

"Can we talk?" He was still walking next to me. I stopped. We were alone in the halls together. Our bodies were inches away from each other. I was nervous.

"Sure?" It came out more as a question rather than an answer.

"About last night…" He started. Oh, I get it now. He was just going to tell me that he didn't mean it. It was just a friendly kiss, and then walk off. He was a boy after all. And boys don't seem to like me very much.

I decided to cut him off before he could finish. I didn't want to hear this. I was hungry, exhausted, and not to mention I was just humiliated in front of the entire lunch room. I was in no mood for another rejection. Especially from someone I've poured my entire life story out to. Someone I trusted. Someone I respected.

"You didn't mean it. I get it Tyler. I get it. It's cool."

Tyler stood still. I think he was unsure of what to say. It was obvious what I had been saying was right. I mean, he didn't even try to stop me from talking. I'm not sure what got into me.

"I know you're only Tyler Simms and I shouldn't care what you think of me. But lately, all I've been thinking about is what other people think of me. Everything, from what I say, from what I wear, even to what I eat. All I can think about is rejection. My entire life I've only been a friend to the guy I've liked. My entire life, I've been Caleb's little sister. When am I going to be Kate Tunney? Am I ever going to be her?" I'm sure someone had to be eavesdropping on our conversation because it was dead quiet. It was so quiet I'm sure you could have heard a pin drop.

"You know Tyler, I've never thought of you in that way, anyways. Sure the past couple of days I've been checking you out, but the truth is you're not Pogue. You'll never be Pogue." And without waiting for him to turn around and be like 'we're still friends' like I did with Pogue, I walked into the girls bathroom, and stayed there until lunch was over.

I'm not sure why I had gotten so angry. And I'm sure the reason why I cried the rest of the lunch period in the bathrooms was because I saw the look on Tyler's face when I was degrading him. I was such a bitch. He looked so hurt. All the pent up frustrations took a toll on me, and I felt like cutting my last four classes of the day. But it was only the first day of the school year. I had plenty of other days to cut them.

--

I met up with my brother at his car after school. Caleb was leaning against his Mustang talking with Sarah. I must have looked really bad because they both asked me if I was okay. Without answering I climbed into the front seat of his car and just stared out window. I watched as the majority of the students piled out onto the lawn on Spencer's Academy. I watched as I saw girls laughing, smiling, and having fun. _I wonder if they ever throw up? I wonder if they're hiding some sort of dark secret behind those fake smiles of theirs? I wonder if they even know how lucky they are?_

Caleb pulled out of the parking lot, and headed East towards our parents house. "You want to talk about it?" I looked over at my brother and he looked worried. Genuinely worried.

"Why do you suddenly care?" I spat out. Oops, I hadn't of meant to come off that angry.

"What do you mean? I care. I've always cared. I'm your brother." He was paying attention to the road while he spoke. "Is this about Tyler. I heard about what happened. Do you want to talk about it?" So I was right. Someone had been eavesdropping.

"How'd you hear about that?" My curiosity got the best of me. I remained staring out the window, which happened to be a habit of mine as well. I don't like to talk much when riding in cars.

"There was an incident during practice today. Tyler and Pogue went at it." Caleb almost looked amused as he said this.

"What do you mean? Are they okay?" I was worried now. _What if Tyler got hurt and I didn't have a chance to apologize? Okay, why am I thinking about this right now?_

"They're fine now." Caleb obviously didn't want to go into details. I wasn't about to push him either. I just wanted to go home, and sleep away my problems.

"I know we haven't been close lately. And there's some stuff going on, with Reid using so much all the time, and with Senior year I've got all the college applications to fill out. It's stressful, but I am also sorry that I haven't necessarily been there for you. I mean, in all honesty Adele, you haven't been easy to get to know either."

"Things change." I replied. I was getting tired and I didn't really want to talk, or argue for that matter, anymore.

"I know it's none of my business, so I'm going to say this once and I'll leave you alone. Tyler's a good guy, and I'm not just saying that because he's my friend. I mean it. Tyler's the type of guy that would do anything for anyone. You were right in saying that he's not Pogue. Because, he's not. As much as I love Pogue as a brother, he could never be half the man that Tyler is."

I waited a few seconds before looking away from my brother. I wasn't sure if he was finished or not. I couldn't believe what he had just said. My brother would never talk about a friend, his friend, in such a negative way.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, my voice a little dry.

"Because I think you need to apologize to Tyler."

I hated Caleb at this point. He was always right.

--

"Why are you both home so early?" I heard a scratchy voice behind the sofa ask, as both Caleb and I walked into the living room.

It was a little past three in the afternoon, and here my mom was at home, in her PJ's, watching some People's Court show on TV, a cigarette in one hand and a glass of bourbon in the other. Yes, I did say it was only three in the afternoon.

The curtains had not been drawn, the room smelled of smoke and alcohol, and I was pretty sure my mother had every intention on keeping it that way. Our house, resembled a haunted house. Except, the only haunting thing about it were the secrets living inside of it.

"Mother, it's three o'clock. Did you even get dressed today?" How Caleb could remain calm in even the most angry situations baffled me. I could never do that… obviously.

"I'm stressed out, damn it! Don't you dare judge me! Don't you fucking judge me!" My mom snapped. She stood up and I watched as her fragile frame shook with anger.

I backed up. I was scared. My mom always scares me when she drinks. She becomes so unpredictable. Sometimes, she becomes so unstoppable.

She was never like this when I was younger. Back before my dad… well before my dad got sick. She was always happy, laughing, and smiling. Her and my dad were inseparable. You could tell how much my mom loved him just by the way she looked at him. But now, her once loving gaze was glazed over. She's no longer happy. I can't even tell you when the last time I saw my mother laugh or smile. It's been _that _long.

She has her good and bad days. And today, I had a feeling, was going to be one of her bad days. _I hope she doesn't break anything this time._

"Mother, Caleb didn't mean to judge you. He was just telling you the time, because you did ask us why were home. We know things have been hard and the last thing we want you to feel is like we're judging you." Sometimes I amazed myself. This was one of those times. Why I had said it, I couldn't figure that out myself. But it sounded good.

It seemed to work too, because my mom sat back down on the couch, and returned her attention to the judge on TV. I looked over at Caleb who smiled at me. I hated when he smiled like that. It was such a sad smile. It's the only smile he ever gives my mom or dad nowadays.

I picked up my book bag and walked up to my room. I flipped open my lap top, which was sitting atop my un-made bed and turned it on. While I waited for it to load, I changed into a pair of baggy grey lounge pants and a matching grey tank top.

I was just logging into my email account when I heard a knock on my door. Finally, Caleb learned the proper etiquette of door knocking.

"Come in" I said, not taking my eyes off of the screen. I was hoping to hear back from Ashleigh. I had rushed off without saying goodbye today after school. I hope she wasn't mad.

I heard the door open and then shut. The person that had entered my room, had yet to speak. I looked over my shoulder just to make sure it wasn't a ghost and nearly fainted. It was Tyler.

I opened my mouth, to say something, maybe apologize perhaps, but he cut me off.

"Just shut up, okay?" He stated rather than asked me, in an unusually stern voice which was very un-Tyler like. It was kind of hot.

"I know I'm not Pogue. I know you've had an obsession over him since we were kids, but damn it Adele, you didn't even give me a chance to talk to you. What I wanted to tell you earlier at school today… What I wanted to talk to you about… wasn't to say that I didn't mean to kiss you. Because I did. I liked you the way you were before you got all bitchy over the summer." Tyler looked out of breathe and angry. I felt bad. I knew I had done this to him, and he didn't deserve this. He was now pacing my bedroom, on a rant, that I knew I had coming.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are to talk to me like that, after I sat there and listened to all your problems, after I've done nothing but be a good friend to you. Yeah, it's true, I liked you Adele. I liked you a lot. But I don't like the person you are now, or who you're becoming. All you care about is yourself. Did it ever occur to you that there's a concept called 'OTHER PEOPLE?' Because I don't think it has. You think everyone's out to get you and that's not true. If you would give people a chance to begin with you'd find that out for yourself."

Holy shit. I've never been talked to like that before. And I've never been so turned on in my entire life. "Your right Tyler. I'm a bad girl. Now fuck me like I'm a bad girl."

"It's about time you asked" He said in a scruffy, Brad Pitt-like voice, throwing his shirt over his head.

--

And that was when I woke up. I stirred a little before I opened my eyes, hoping I'd fall back asleep into that nice dream I was having. I sat up and noticed my laptop, powered off, laying at the foot of my bed. I got up and walked downstairs to the kitchen, holding onto the railings and walls for support. I was extremely dizzy and very light-headed. I hadn't eaten all day.

I opened the kitchen and pulled everything out. Left over KFC, nice. I don't know what came over me, but I couldn't stop myself. I just kept stuffing my face as if I hadn't eaten in my life. Whatever we had, I ate.

Chocolate cake. I ate.

Coffee Flavored Ice Cream. I ate.

I even made brownies, just to eat the batter.

I ate like I was never going to eat again.

**Twenty minutes later…**

My conscious felt heavy. I should not have done that. It was as if I had no control over what I was going. I couldn't stop putting food into my mouth. But the second I had managed to control my arm movements, I nearly made a sprint for my bathroom.

And here I am again. Throwing everything up. I can't do this. Tyler said it himself last night. If I wanted someone to love me I needed to learn how to love myself. And the only way I'm going to love myself is if I loose 10 pounds. _I'm 115 pounds right now. At 105, I'll be happy. I really will. I'll be the happiest girl alive, I'm sure of it. _

I fell asleep that night clutching my stomach. Not because I was hungry. Not because throwing everything up had given me stomach cramps. No. It was because I wished my stomach would shrink off.

--

I'm not sure if you've heard the saying "Never bite the hand that feeds you." Supposedly, the saying itself is describing a type of respect towards the people that help you, in a direct sense. I don't know, I might actually be making that up. I never took that meaning to heart. No, instead I say "Always bite the hand that feeds you." Why? Because if you don't you'll just end up packing on the pounds.

For the rest of the week, I spent my afternoons after class working out. I had stopped bumming rides off of my brother. Instead, I'd run home, carrying my book bag as extra weight. I'd work on squats, lunges, curls, anything that I could think of. I ate only enough to calm my growling stomach, and drank as little water as possible. I didn't want to carry around the extra water weight.

I even started keeping track of my body, by doing 'self checks.' If I could wrap my entire hand, fingers touching and all, around one wrist, than I was doing good. If I could feel my shoulder blades, I was doing good. If I could see my ribs, I was doing good. Overall, with all the 'self checks,' dieting, and working out I was feeling amazing. Tired, but still amazing.

I had avoided Tyler all week. Mainly in our Art History class, because that was the only class just the two of us had together. And for some god forsaken reason, our teacher Miss Brownstone decided that the two of us should be seated next to each other. I nearly died when she gave us our seating changes. It was awkward passing papers to each other, discussing different paintings, and just having to sit inches away from the person I berated only a few short days ago. I knew I wanted to apologize to him, for snapping and everything, but I just didn't know exactly what I should say. The truth is, I kind of liked Tyler. Of course, I'll never admit that to him, or my brother or anything. But between you and me, Tyler was pretty cool.

Oh, and Ashleigh had started hanging around Aaron Abbot more and more during school. We had talked, I mean she was still my best friend, but I often found her sitting outside with Aaron at lunch, while I ran as many laps I could on the track field, in just that short hour. She told me Aaron was actually a nice guy and that his reputation as a prick was "bogus" (her words not mine. I haven't used that word since I was like 5 and that was in the early-mid 90's? And back then, I think I only used it once.) But I knew better than that. Once Aaron sleeps with Ashleigh he'll drop her. I tried warning her Friday after school had let out. She had come up to me, while I was fastening on my iPod armband, getting ready for my run home, and told me that she was going to go to Nicky's with Aaron and the crew later that night. She asked if I had wanted to come with her, but I told her no. I think she took that as I didn't want to hang out with her, because she said I was acting weird lately, and that's when I told her about Aaron only wanting to hang out with her because he just wants to sleep with her. She told me to grow up and stormed off. I ran extra hard that day. I was angry. I don't think I've been acting weird lately. I really don't.

The run home was usual. I listened to my "Rock Out" play list on my iPod and ran angrily the few miles home from school. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, which is odd for Massachusetts, even at this time of the year. Overall, it was a beautiful day out. And although I was sweating up a storm, I was feeling beautiful. Must have been the endorphins.

--

When I got home, I saw an unfamiliar car parked in the long and narrow driveway. A beat up old Volkswagen. I racked my brain, trying to remember if I knew anyone that owned that car, as I made my way inside my parents huge Victorian mansion I called home.

"Adele, honey! Is that you?" I heard a beautiful voice come from the kitchen. It almost sounded as if the person speaking was singing.

I looked around and noticed that the curtains had been drawn, and the house had been cleaned. Shelves had been dusted, carpets had been vacuumed, and the clutter was gone. Everything was in it's place. And for the very first time, the house that I've lived in my entire life, smelled of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. My mouth started watering.

I set my book bag down on the foot of the stairs, and threw down my iPod. As I walked into the kitchen I noticed that Caleb, Kate, and Sarah were sitting at the kitchen table. The kitchen table that my family and I used to eat dinner at… back when we were an actual family.

My stomach turned as I looked towards my left and saw my mom, makeup and hair nicely done, a blue and white checkered apron on, pulling out a batch of cookies from the oven. It was as if I had just stepped into June Cleaver's house. Something weird was definitely going on.

"Umm, Hi?" I spoke, in complete disbelief. My mom never gets dressed up anymore, and I hadn't seen Kate and Sarah since that incident at the Mexican restaurant. So I guess it's safe to say that my stomach was a little uneasy.

"Cookie, sweetheart?" She asked me, as if she'd been doing this for years. Was she putting on a show?

"Sure." I snatched the cookie away from my mother as fast as I could. I was hungry.

"How was school?" My mother looked at me with her chocolate brown eyes. She was beautiful, even after all these years.

"S'okay" I said still chewing the cookie, and reaching for another.

"Hey Adele." Sarah broke into the conversation.

"Hey." I replied back, smiling at both her and Kate.

"Can I talk to you, alone for a minute?" Kate stood up. I noticed that her, Sarah, and Caleb were no longer in Spencer's uniform. They had already changed out into their regular clothes. I didn't think it had taken me long to run home everyday. I guess I was wrong.

"Sure" I agreed and motioned for her to follow me.

We walked out of the kitchen and into the hall, just in front of the staircase where I laid my book bag and iPod.

"You're mom seems really cool" Kate broke the silence.

I nodded, unsure if she knew how my mother really was. I didn't know if Caleb talked about my mom to his friends, but if Pogue knew than Kate probably did too.

"Look, I'm really sorry about last Sunday and everything-" She looked at me apologetically as I interrupted her.

"It's okay, really. I'm over Pogue and I really am happy for you two." I said. I did mean it, I was over Pogue, but I wasn't too sure if I was really happy for Kate. She had everything I wanted. A perfect body, a perfect boyfriend/fiancée, and not to mention confidence. Yeah, I'm jealous.

"So we can still be friends and everything right? I've always thought you were really cool and we get along really well." For some reason, I felt as though Kate meant what she was saying.

"Of course. To be honest, I tried to hate you" I laughed as I saw the shocked reaction take form in her eyes, "But I couldn't. You've always been nice to me, and I really do think you and Pogue are perfect together."

Kate leaned over and hugged me. I hugged her back, unsure if this was normal. Like I've said before, I've never really had many friends, so hugging for me was a little weird.

"We're going to Nicky's tonight. You should come along!" Kate exclaimed, as we made out way back into the kitchen. I grabbed another cookie and shoved in into my mouth.

"Sure" I agreed. I didn't want to stay home alone tonight.

"Wow Adele, you really do like to eat" Sarah laughed as she saw me stuff another cookie into my mouth. I laughed along with everyone but felt stupid inside.

Maybe it was all the running, or maybe it was because my body wasn't used to that much sugar, but I could feel my stomach turning over. Without explaining, I ran to the nearest bathroom which was just outside of the kitchen and opened the toilet lid just in time for the cookies to come back up. After cleaning myself up, and rising my mouth from the taste of vomit, I made my way back towards the kitchen. My mom was going through the pantry, looking for something, while my brother and his two friends were staring at me wearily.

"You okay?" Caleb asked, I could tell he wanted to ask me something else, but I doubted he would do so with Kate and Sarah still here.

"Yeah, I just think I ate way to fast." I lied.

"We should get going, but we'll see you both at Nicky's later?" Sarah eyed both Caleb and I suspiciously. I had a feeling she knew something I didn't.

"Yeah, you will. I'll see you both later." Caleb answered, kissing Sarah on the forehead and walking the two girls to the front door.

"Bye Adele, Bye Mrs. Danvers!" Kate and Sarah exclaimed as my brother shut the door and made his way back towards the kitchen.

I looked over at him and he had that stupid smile on his face. The sad one. The sad smile that makes me want to cry. Something was going on. He was looking at me strangely and my mother, my drunk mother, was actually cooking dinner for once. She hadn't cooked a proper meal in at least 10 years.

"Caleb, Adele" My mother was still forging her best June Cleaver impersonation. She was now slaving over the stove, stirring something simmering in a large steel pot. "The three of us need to have a little talk."

Caleb and I exchanged glances before returning our gaze to our mother.

She set the spoon she was stirring her concoction with down, and pulled off the oven mitt. I didn't even know we had owned any of those.

"Lately, I've been thinking. About your father, about my life, but mainly about the two of you. You two are the best things that has ever happened to me." Tears started to form in her eyes and she looked down, in an attempt to conceal them. My heart sank. I knew that from the tone of her voice that what she was about to tell my brother and I, was going to be something I probably didn't want to hear.

"I think that the stress, with your father being so well… so sick… I just think it's best that I move on. I've started seeing someone else and tonight, I'd like the two of you to meet him and his son."

_Did I just hear that right?_ My mom, who by the way is still married to my dad, is seeing someone else?! Where did she meet him? For the past five years I've never seen her change out of her PJ's or leave the house. Is it Gorman? Oh gross!

"What?" Caleb and I both asked in unison. I think Caleb was equally confused as I was.

"He's been a family friend for years. A few months ago, he came over to check on everyone and ever since then we've kept in touch." She said nonchalantly, like the news she just dropped wasn't a big deal.

My mouth formed a little 'o' as I sat there in shock. Luckily, Caleb spoke first.

"Does dad know?"

"No."

"Do we know him?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to tell us who it is?"

But before my mom could answer my brother the doorbell rang. "Ah, that should be them now" She said as she set her stirring spoon back down on the counter. "You kids go freshen up and I'll have dinner ready in a few minutes." She ushered us upstairs, like she was a soccor mom and we were her star kids.

"Do you think it's Gorman?" I asked, as my brother and I walked upstairs and down the hallway to our separate rooms.

"Oh gross, I don't think mom could ever get that drunk!"

I changed into a pair of faded and slightly torn jeans, which were now a little baggy, and a yellow halter top. I slipped on my converse and made my way downstairs. Before I entered the kitchen Caleb pulled me aside.

"You're not going to believe who's down there!" He looked as pale as a ghost. I'm assuming he was in dead shock because he didn't try to stop me when I made my way past him.

"Oh my God! It is Gorman, isn't it?!" I joked, but nearly fainted as I walked past Caleb into the kitchen and into a pair of piercing blue eyes. _Those eyes look so familiar._

"Adele! My, my you've grown up! Hasn't she grown up Tyler?" Mr. Simms said, pulling me into a hug.

"Sure" Tyler mumbled out.

And that's about the time I fainted.


	6. Chapter 5: The Boyfriend

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Boyfriend**

**Story of A Girl**

* * *

"Del, wake up, Del" I heard the worry in my brothers voice. I felt my eyes flutter open and I automatically squinted to adjust to the light. I saw my brother, my mother, Tyler, and Tyler's father leaning over me.

"What happened?" Caleb helped me sit up. I was laying on the kitchen floor.

"You passed out. Jeez Del, have you eaten lately?" My brother said as he grabbed a hold of my arms and helped me stand up.

"Shut up, I eat enough" I snapped back. "Can someone please answer me this. Why the hell is Tyler's dad fucking my mother?"

"ADELE!" I head my mother gasp out in shock. I felt Caleb's glare and I could see that Mr. Simms was snickering. Tyler just sort of sat back, fading somewhere in the background.

"Get up in your room now!" My mother demanded. "I'll have your brother bring up dinner, but don't you dare think you'll be going anywhere anytime soon. Now apologize to Mr. Simms."

"I'm sorry that you're fucking my married mother." I spat out and ran up to my room.

_Why was she doing this? How could she do this to my dad?! And with Mr. Simms of all people! He was a part of the Covenant as well, one of my dad's best friends. The nerve that bastard has!_

Sure my father had his own problems, but he was still a human being for crying out loud. He still had feelings, and although he's physically aging, it doesn't mean he's still the same age mentally. If he found out about this, it would definitely be the end of my father. And although he can't even walk anymore, or leave Gorman's house for that matter, he's still my father and I still love him very much. The last thing I want to see is my father hurt.

I was pacing around my room, occasionally throwing a hairbrush against the wall, just to let everyone downstairs know how truly pissed off I was. A few minutes went by and I heard a knock on my door. I opened it to see Tyler standing there, with a bowl of soup.

"You're brother thought I should be the one to give you this." He said quietly, not looking me in the eyes. I opened the door fully and he came in. He set the tray on my desk and was about to leave when I decided that now would probably be a good time to apologize. It was convenient.

"I'm sorry." I wanted to say more, really I did, but I just didn't know where to start. It's weird how one night I can pour everything out to him and the next I can't.

"I'm sure you are." His tone was sarcastic. He was about to close the door when I stopped him again.

"I really am sorry. You didn't deserve that. But I really need someone to talk to right now." It's true, Ashleigh was pissed off at me and she was the only one that seemed to care nowadays, I couldn't talk to my mom because she was obviously busy, and Caleb and I were complete opposites. He wouldn't understand.

"So what am I supposed to say? Don't worry about it? Oh, it's okay? I know, let's be best friends!" He did his best impression of a twelve year old girl's voice. It was actually quite good.

"You're right." I agreed. He was right. And if I were him I'd be pretty reluctant to accept my apology too. _Who the hell do I think I am?_

After a few moments of standing there, Tyler turned and walked away. I felt like such an asshole. I walked into my bathroom and starting running the hot water. Maybe a bath would make me feel better?

How wrong I was.

All that bath made me want to do was cry. It was just me, the warm water, and my thoughts. After a few minutes of soaking and sulking I decided that it was time that I actually tried apologizing to Tyler properly. Even if it wasn't convenient for me.

I threw on the clothes I had been wearing just a few minutes prior to my bath and ran downstairs. I saw my mom washing dishes, and three empty seats at the table. Shit, they had already left. I looked over to my left and saw that my mom's car keys were lying on the coffee table. Now that, was convenient.

I made a dash for the front door and was happy to see that no one was running after me. I put the key into the ignition and drove off in my mother's Audi, towards a little bar called Nicky's.

--

Nicky's was just like any other bar in any other town. A hole in the wall just a few miles south of Spencer's. It was the only real hang out place in town.

I made my way inside the bar and started weaving through the crowd. It was packed for a Friday night; There were bodies on the dance floor, at the pool tables, and at the bar. It looked as though Nicky might have the fire department called in on him, for breaching the maximum amount of people. Creates a fire hazard or some shit like that.

I spotted Ashleigh, looking fantastic in just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, laughing with Aaron at the pool tables. Aaron, nonchalantly had his arm draped around her waist. _I wonder if Kira knows her cousin is hanging out with her boyfriend_? I looked over and saw Reid and Tyler on the opposite end of the pool table. Tyler was the reason I was here. I had to talk to him.

Before I could even reached the pool tables, someone grabbed a hold of me and turned me around. "Adele! Does mom know you're here?" It was Caleb. Should I tell him I ran out and stole her car or should I make something up? _Liars never prosper._

"No, now shut up. I need to talk to Tyler." I pulled free from his grasp and made my way over towards the tables. I stopped as I stood directly behind the person I needed to talk to.

"Tyler." I tapped his shoulder and he spun around, it was almost as if it had happened in slow motion. He saw me, rolled his eyes, and turned back around. Okay, I deserve this. But drastic times call for drastic measures. I closed my eyes, as I began to shout at the top of my lungs, "TYLER I'M PREGNANT AND IT'S YOUR BABY!"

That seemed to do the trick. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked in my direction. Tyler was now a shade deep shade of red.

"Damn it," He said as he pulled me out the back door of the bar and into the alley. "What the fuck was that about?" He was angry. Well, duh! He had every right to be.

"Look. Tyler, you have every reason to be mad at me. And I don't expect you to be nice to me ever again. I just had to come and see you tonight. I need to tell you that what I said the other day at school, I didn't mean."

Tyler wouldn't look me in the eyes. Why should he, anyways? His hands were deep inside his pockets as he continued to look down at the ground.

"I'm not making excuses, so just hear me out please." I pleaded. He didn't turn around to leave, and he didn't say anything so I kept talking. "My mom's a drunk, my dad's not dead like everyone thinks he is, my brother just noticed I was alive only a week ago, and I haven't eaten in three days straight. I'm 16 years old, my boobs are too big for my body, my thighs have dimples, and for once I'm being noticed by the Spencer's population. Despite being my brother's friend, you've always made it a point to go out of your way for me. You've been nothing but nice to me and I repay you by taking out all of my stress and frustrations on you. You have every right to be angry and upset and I'm an asshole. I just wanted you to know that I'm truly sorry for everything that I had said. I was right to say that you weren't Pogue. Because you're not."

His eyes moved up and met mine.

"Pogue could never be half the man that you are." I was silently thanking my brother for saying that the other day.

"You really mean that?" The moment Tyler said that, maybe it was the poor lighting in the dark alley, or maybe it was the way he was kicking his foot around aimlessly, he looked like a little kid. And my heart nearly broke. He looked so insecure and unsure.

"Yes, I was stupid to think Pogue was so amazing." I can't believe I'm saying this. I swallowed hard, "He has nothing on you."

And for the first time that week, I saw Tyler smile. It wasn't the big, toothy grin Tyler was known for, but it was still a smile. And I couldn't help but smile back.

--

The rest of the night went by way too fast; It was such a blur. I ended up staying at Nicky's for a few hours, playing pool with Tyler and Reid. Ashleigh, pretty much ignored me, and I avoided Caleb's death glare as best as I could. I had fun though, with just the two boys. It was nice.

"I should probably get going. I drove my mom's car here without her consent or knowing." Tyler was walking me over to the silver Audi I had stolen.

"Yeah, that probably wasn't such a good idea." He laughed.

"Tell me about it. Did you know your dad and my mom were-"

"No, and I don't want to know any more about it, thank you very much."

We were now standing next to the car.

"Thanks for everything-" Tyler was getting good at interrupting me.

Instead of speaking however, he interrupted me with an unexpected kiss. Like the one a week before, it was gentle and sweet. His tongue found its way towards my lower lip, as if asking for entrance. I obliged and our tongue's met in a heated furry. One of his hands was placed on the side of the car, the other cupping my face. My hands found their way towards the bottom of his coat, pulling him in closer. Kissing Tyler was wonderful. For a brief moment in time, it felt as though everything was perfect, time stood still, and all my insecurities were forgotten.

"Adele!"

Oh shit. I turned my head, breaking the kiss, and saw Caleb walking towards both Tyler and I. His jaw was set, his cheeks were flushed, and he looked as though he was about to rip his clothes off and turn into the Hulk. I think it's safe to say that Caleb was beyond pissed.

Before I could calm anyone down, or jump into the way, a loud _SMACK_ was heard and I saw Tyler clutching his face. _Did my brother just slap Tyler?_

"What the hell was that for?" Tyler sounded shocked.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. My brother was well above 6 feet tall and weighed at least 500 pounds, all of muscle. And he just slapped Tyler Simms like he was a 12 year school girl who found out Tyler liked the same boy he did.

"That's my sister. My 16 year old sister." He raised his hand to strike again but luckily Sarah had followed him outside, and grabbed his hand back.

I looked over at Tyler who I could have swore was smiling. I think he found this just as entertaining as I did. "Are you okay?" I asked him, trying not to laugh. I know it sounds pretty bad. Poor Tyler, getting beat up verbally and now physically, but this past week had just been too surreal. I let loose, I just couldn't help it. Tyler joined in the laughing with me.

"Oh great! You think it's funny!" Caleb was furious. I wasn't sure if he was talking to Tyler or me. "They think it's funny!" He turned around and yelled to no one in particular.

"Caleb, come on, relax." I said, regaining my composure. "It's Tyler. What's going to happen?" I shrugged my shoulders as if to say 'nothings going to happen' but secretly I wished something would.

"What's going to happen? What's going to happen?" Sarah was trying to calm him down, by whispering something into his ear. It obviously wasn't working.

"Caleb, it's Tyler for crying out loud! What are we going to end up doing? Math homework maybe, I mean, it is _only_ Friday night. Or staying a few minutes past curfew rewriting notes? Or maybe living on the wild side and sneaking into the teacher's lounge and stealing a bag of Chex Mix?" I saw Tyler's head snap in my direction, as if he was thinking 'is she insulting me again' but I continued anyways. "You said yourself that Tyler's a good guy."

I don't know if Sarah promised him foreplay, or if my words had really sunk in, but Caleb seemed to relax a little.

After I awkwardly said goodbye to Tyler, and the mini-crowd that had gathered outside to watch the little spat between my brother and his friend dispersed, I made my way home in my Mother's car. I was silently praying that she'd had a few drinks and was out cold, just like her usual Friday nights tended to end.

I turned the corner and my parent's house came into view. The lights were on, and _is that a police car in the driveway?_ _Oh shit. Oh, fucking shit!_

Two police cars lined the driveway, both still had their sirens flashing but not sounding. Three, yes three, different cops were outside with my mother, one was holding a picture, another was writing something down in his notebook, and the last one had his arm on my mother's shoulder. I saw their heads turn in my direction when I pulled into the drive and got out of the car. I was in deep shit.

I slowly made my way up to the visibly angry adults. And when I say slowly I mean, like 'take a 30 second break after each step' kind of slow.

--

"Adele Elisabeth Danvers, just what the hell did you think you were doing?" I was inside the house now, sitting on the couch with my head bowed, my mother pacing the living room. The cops had left, after my mother decided not to press charges for theft, and here I was… getting reamed by an alcoholic Mrs. Cleaver.

"You're grounded for an entire month!" She yelled again, and this time I lifted my head and met her eyes. My mother eyes were often glazed over, because of the alcohol, but tonight they just looked empty. They looked cold.

I was going to object but decided against it. I did take her car without her permission. I did deserve this punishment. But a whole month. That was a little harsh. I mean it wasn't like I stole my mother's car to go sell my body and buy drugs.

--

During the month of my 'groundation' Tyler and I texted each other all the time. We hung out at school, I mean we were friends and everything, but it was the text messages I looked forward to the most. Tyler was just cool, and I found that I could tell him anything, and I never once felt like he judged me. Tyler was starting to become on of my best friends, and I found that I liked it very much.

I had been keeping up on my 'self checks.' Using the time alone in my room to my benefit, I was able to focus on my thighs. I hated them so much, and despite the fact that I had been doing a thousand squats a day, they had yet to slim down. Instead, my stomach was more defined, my arms were toned, but my thighs remained jiggly, like Jello.

A week before my month of isolation was over, Tyler had asked if I wanted to go to the Fall Ball with him. It was over a month away, but I happily accepted. It was the first time anyone has ever asked me out. It was nice.

I was finishing up my squats in my room, that night that Tyler had asked me to the Fall Ball, when a hysterical Ashleigh came crying into my room. I was pretty sure my mom wasn't home, because if she was, Ashleigh wouldn't have been allowed up here. I looked over at her, and she looked beat up. Literally. There were marks on her arms, bruises along her stomach (which I could see because her shirt was torn), and Ashleigh herself looked as though she had just survived the holocaust. Her hair was in disarray, mascara was cascading down her face, and she wasn't wearing any shoes. She looked really bad.

"What's wrong?" I was worried, even though Ashleigh and I hadn't talked since we first started arguing, almost a month ago. Truth is, I had missed Ashleigh, terribly. I could never stay mad at her.

"He... he-" Ashleigh was hyperventilating.

"Sit down" I pushed her down onto my bed. "Sit with your head between your legs and breathe deeply." I was trying to calm her now. Whatever happened, had to be bad. I've never seen Ashleigh this upset before.

"He raped me Adele. He did things to me you couldn't imagine." Ashleigh finally cried out.

"Who?" I asked, "Who did this to you?" I was more angry than worried. Ashleigh, as ignorant as she could be at times, didn't deserve this. No one did.

"Aaron." I could feel my blood boiling through my skin. _That bastard! I'm going to kill him._

"I know you tried to warn me about him but he just didn't seem like a bad guy." Ashleigh confessed. "He was so nice to me when we first met, but lately he had become more demanding. More aggressive. And tonight..." Ashleigh started sobbing again. "Tonight he humiliated me."

"Shh, it's going to be okay" I tried to reassure her. I sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug. Ashleigh was a good person. Aaron was going to pay for what he did.

After I calmed Ashleigh down, I gave her some of my clothes and let her shower and change. When she was in the shower, I crept down to my brother's room and knocked on his door. Luckily, he was working on his math homework and wasn't out with the boys tonight.

"What's up?" He asked as he opened the door and let me inside.

"Ashleigh's here."

He raised his eyebrows. "If mom finds out you'll be grounded for another month." I hated how much things had changed between my mother and Caleb and I. This past month, it was as if she had never gone into a Great Depression. A great alcoholic depression. She just pretended that things were okay, that my dad was dead, and that her life was perfectly normal. I may not be too smart, but I think anyone with a brain can see that my mom isn't fooling anyone. And it's only a matter of time before she realizes that for herself.

I rolled my eyes. "Let her ground me then. Ashleigh came over hysterical. Aaron raped her."

I could see Caleb's jaw clench shut. He was angry. I filled him in on the details and asked him for his advice. He told me to let her stay the night and to keep an eye on her. He told me he'd deal with mom and Aaron. For some reason, Caleb made me feel like he had the situation under control. Finally, I felt like I could rely on my brother. It was nice feeling, not having to rely on myself for a change.

That night, I let Ashleigh sleep in my bed, while I slept on the floor. I felt horrible for her. And although I thought she was stupid in the first place for dating Aaron, I could understand why she did it. What girl didn't like getting attention from a guy? I certainly liked the attention I got from Tyler. But I knew Tyler would never hurt me. Aaron had a bad reputation for a reason. _I wonder if Kira knows all about this?_

I grabbed my cell phone and began to text Tyler. I couldn't sleep. I won't lie, the floor was uncomfortable, but I was thinking way too much to sleep anyways. I sent him a text and asked him to call me if he was still up. A few minutes later my phone started vibrating.

"Hey"

"What's up?"

"Ashleigh's here. I can't sleep."

"Why's Ashleigh over there?"

"Do you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Cross my heart."

"Aaron raped her." I whispered into the phone. I could hear him let out a sigh of disbelief.

"Are you serious? Why? When?"

"Earlier today. She came over around 6 and was like hyperventilating. I felt horrible, she's got bruises all over her body and her clothes were torn."

"That asshole." I could hear someone mumbling in the background. Must be Reid. "Hey look I gotta go, but I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, I should probably get some sleep. G'night." I said and hung up the phone. I knew Tyler, and I knew he wasn't going to tell a soul.

--

The next day at school, my brother and Tyler never let Ashleigh and I out of their sights. I felt kind of honored that they wanted to protect me, but it was Ashleigh I was worried about. She barely spoke, and when she did, she wasn't the same Ashleigh I knew. She was quiet. She wasn't the loud, outspoken girl that she really was. I knew that this thing with Aaron really was getting to her.

At the end of the day, Ashleigh and I made our way over to my brother's car. He had insisted on Ashleigh staying with us until everything was taken care of. I had no idea of what he meant by 'taken care of' but I knew it had something to do with Aaron. As we were about to get into his car, we saw a group of students huddled around the quad, forming a circle. We heard someone scream 'FIGHT' and we ran our way over to see what the commotion was all about.

I could barely believe my eyes. Reid Garwin, the biggest shit talker of the school, was kicking the shit out of Aaron Abbot. I looked over at Ashleigh who was smiling. I was glad she was enjoying this. Aaron was having his ass handed to him. Finally, two teachers made their way over to the group and broke them up. Aaron was bloody, it was obvious that Reid had let out all of his aggressions on that bastard. Just before the teachers dragged Reid away to the Provost's office, he looked over at Ashleigh, and smiled. Shit, Reid knew.

"Hey Ashleigh, Why don't you go home with my brother and I'll meet you there." I said, and without waiting for her answer I left, on my way towards Tyler's dorm.

I knocked twice and Tyler answered.

"You told him!" I yelled out.

Tyler looked around, and then pulled me inside. "I didn't tell him anything." I knew Tyler wasn't lying. Tyler would never lie to me. "Reid overheard Aaron bragging to his friends about it today in the locker rooms after Swim Practice."

I couldn't believe the bastard had the nerve to brag about raping someone!

"Reid just kicked his ass." I stated. "It took two teacher's to tear him off of Aaron. He's probably in the Provost's office right now."

"Well, Aaron had that coming."

I nodded my head in agreement. I looked around and noticed how messy Tyler's dorm room was. I never took Tyler to be a messy guy. He always just seemed like a neat freak. He must have sensed what I was thinking because he smiled at me sheepishly and told me that Reid was a slob. I laughed. Reid may be a slob, but he's one ass kicking slob.

"So have you picked out a dress yet?" I could tell Tyler was feeling awkward. I wonder if he's ever had a girl in dorm room alone before.

"Not yet." The butterflies in my stomach were starting to flutter again. Tyler always seemed to do that to me.

Tyler and I had not kissed since that incident at Nicky's. We never even mentioned it either. As far as I knew it, Tyler and I were just friends. I mean, I like him and everything, but we've never even been on a date. And the whole Fall Ball thing, well that's just a stupid dance everyone goes too. It was nice though, when he had asked me to go with him. I felt like he had probably rehearsed what he was going to say to me in front of the mirror a bunch of times before actually doing it. And when he did, he was nervous. And I thought that was cute.

"Well I should go." I said, realizing that we were both standing in the middle of his dorm room, awkwardly silent.

"Do you need a ride?" He asked me.

"Oh no, it's cool. I've made it a habit to run home." It was true. If I didn't run at least a mile a day I felt fat. Today I hadn't run at all, so I should probably run a few laps around the track field before I made my way home.

"I'll text you later" I said as I made my way towards the track field. Today was a hot day out, so I was guaranteed a sweat.

I came home that day to my mother slaving over the stove again. Mr. Simms and my mother seemed to be getting on really well, because she'd been having him over for dinner every night for the past two weeks. I, of course, made it my mission to insult Mr. Simms any chance I got. After all, I had a crush on his son AND my mom was married.

"Where the hell have you been?" My mother said as I made my way upstairs, to check on Ashleigh.

"Gorman's." I lied. I knew it would shut her up if she thought I was spending time with my dad.

"Hey" I said as I saw Ashleigh surfing the web on my laptop. "You okay?" I threw off my school uniform and rummaged through

"I'm alright. Are you?"

I looked over at Ashleigh, confused. "Why would I not be?"

"Adele, I can see your ribs."

"So?"

"You're standing with your back to me."

I looked over at her. She had no idea what she was saying. She had just been through a traumatic event, her mind was making her see things. Wasn't that what post traumatic stress disorder was? I don't know, I'm not a psychologist.

"Whatever Ashleigh. I'm gonna take a shower, let me know if Tyler calls." I threw my cell over towards her, which landed on the bed, and took a shower.

The warm water seemed to soothe my aching muscles. I had been running over two miles everyday this past week. I know, two miles wasn't much, but for me it was. A few months ago at this time, if someone would have asked me how much exercise I did in a day, I wouldn't have been able to answer. I had never exercised. Now, I can't seem to stop.

I ran the my hands over my shoulder blades. Check.

I grabbed a hold of my wrist. I was able to touch all my fingers together. Check.

I was good to go.

I got out of the shower and stepped onto the scale. 103. I'm still in the three digits. Once I get down to two digits, I'll be perfect.

I threw on the now baggy clothes, I had bought in Boston with Ashleigh, just before school had started up. Once I was ungrounded I had made it a plan to go shopping again. Nothing seemed to fit me anymore. I was elated.

"Hey, lover boy sent you a text." Ashleigh tossed me my phone.

I caught it and hit the 'read' button.

"What r u doing?"

"Just got out of the shower. U?"

"Nothin much. Reid just got back. He's suspended for the rest of the week."

"Aaron had it coming."

"No doubt."

"Ur dad's here 4 dinner again."

"That's really gross."

"Tell me about it. How gross would that b if we became step-siblings?"

"I don't want 2 think about it. When r u ungrounded?"

"Friday's my last day."

"Want to go to dinner Saturday night?"

"R u asking me out on a date?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"If u say yes or not."

"What if I say yes?"

"Then it's a date."

"And what if I say no?"

"Then it's not."

"I'd love to."

"Then it is a date."

I smiled. Tyler Simms had just asked me out on a date. Things could not get any better.

"What are you smiling about?" Ashleigh interrupted my day dream.

"Tyler just asked me out." I said, noting the slight disappointment in Ashleigh's facial expression. "Oh, and he said that Reid's suspended for the rest of the week… for defending your honor."

Ashleigh stayed silent. I could tell she was thinking about something.

I remembered the night at the restaurant, before school had started, Reid and Ashleigh seemed to be… well not very nice to each other. And the night before they had left Nicky's together. "What happened with you and Reid?"

Ashleigh looked away. Whatever it was, it probably wasn't good.

"He told me he loved me."

My mouth dropped open in shock. For some reason, Reid never seemed like the type of guy that would just randomly drop the L-bomb. _And why is that such a bad thing?_

--

Later that night, after Mr. Simms had left, Caleb and I dropped Ashleigh off at her dorms. I was reluctant to do so, but she kept insisting. Who was I to stop her from moving forward?

On our way home, Caleb and I stopped by Gorman's house. Caleb was just going to drop off my dad's prescription but I was persistent to join him. Caleb eventually catered, and let me go with him.

"Gorman?" Caleb yelled out as we made out way into the familiar old house. I hadn't been in here for at least six months. But I knew this place like I knew the back of my hand.

We made our way upstairs and saw Gorman holding up his rifle.

"Relax, it's just me." I said reassuringly. Gorman smiled and pulled me into a hug.

"I didn't recognize you there." He laughed.

My brother and I made out way into my dad's room, the familiar beep of the machines sounding in the background.

I saw the figure sitting in the chair and was a little hesitant to approach it. Caleb nudged me forward and for the first time in a long time, I smiled at my dad.

"Hi dad." I knew my dad couldn't answer me, but I still insisted on talking to him anyways.

"I miss you."

Caleb handed Gorman the bottle of pills for my father and then made his way over to us.

"Hey dad" he greeted.

I could tell my father recognized us. He had that familiar twinkle in his ageing eyes.

My dad started trying to move his wrists. Caleb and I looked over at Gorman, hoping he'd be able to explain what was going on. Gorman walked over with a pen and paper in his hand. "Your dad still finds ways of communication." He chuckled.

We watched, as Gorman put the pen into my dad's hand and held up the piece of paper. My dad started moving his wrists, writing something on the piece of paper.

A few minutes later my dad dropped the pen, and Gorman picked it up. Caleb and I noticed Gorman reading the note, before eyeing me suspiciously. Gorman handed the paper to us but I couldn't read the writing.

"What does it say?" I asked Caleb, who was suddenly quiet, as if he was thinking.

"Dad says you need to eat." I looked over at my dad, who was now sleeping. Caleb and Gorman were both staring at me, and I felt extremely uncomfortable.

After a few minutes of making small talk with Gorman, Caleb and I left. Caleb was silent the entire ride home, but I knew what he was thinking about. For some unexplainable reason, I had a feeling that Caleb knew.

Knew about my self-checks.

Knew about my vomiting.

Knew about my excessive exercising.

And for the first time in my life, my brother's silence was scaring the shit out of me.


	7. Chapter 6: The Intervention

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Intervention**

**Story of A Girl**

* * *

"Caleb, can I talk to you for a minute?" Ashleigh pulled Caleb aside, just as he was about to walk into their math class together.

"Of course, what's going on?" Caleb gave Ashleigh a reassuring smile. "Is it Aaron again?"

"No, not it's not. Um, it's about Adele." Ashleigh's eyes met Caleb's. "I'm really worried about her."

"What do you mean?" Caleb asked, shifting his backpack slightly higher onto his back. He had an idea what Ashleigh was getting at, but was refusing to believe it himself. Adele was perfectly fine.

"The other day, when I was staying at your house, Adele had come home from running. And she took off her shirt, to get changed, and I could see her ribs." Ashleigh paused for a moment, trying to regain her composure. She hated seeing her friend so sick. "She had her back turned to me."

Caleb's eyes shot up, and he knew, that what he was thinking on the car ride the previous night with his sister, was 100 true. "I've noticed she's been exercising a lot more lately." He looked around to make sure that they were alone in the hallway. They were. "I can sometimes hear her throwing up at night."

"Today, on her way to her locker, I saw her. She has dark circles under her eyes, she's so pale, and Caleb, it's obvious she's way to skinny."

"Thanks, Ashleigh." Caleb said, hoping that Ashleigh wouldn't catch onto his voice cracking. "I'll take care of it."

Ashleigh hoped he would.

That same day, at lunch, Caleb decided to skip lunch with his friends to talk with his sister. Maybe if he got to know her a little bit better, he could help her on his own. He walked around the lunch room and didn't see his sister anywhere. Then he remembered the day his sister and Tyler had gotten into a huge argument, which started after Adele had eaten lunch outside with Aaron and Aaron's friend Trevor. Caleb picked up his tray and walked outside. Looking around, he spotted his sister. He saw a little fragment of a body, running laps on the track field. Caleb knew that he wasn't necessarily close with Adele, but he could spot his sister a mile away. And that frail, sickly looking girl running on the track field was his baby sister.

Instead of going to his classes, like he was supposed to do, Caleb cut the rest of the day and made his way back home. He wasn't sure why, but he had felt inclined to talk to his mother. Maybe she could help him figure out what to do about Adele. Adele was sick. Extremely sick. And if he couldn't help her, who could?

"Caleb, what are you doing home?"

"Mom, Mr. Simms" Caleb greeted his mother and her boyfriend.

"I was just getting ready to go, I'll call you later." Mr. Simms said, as he kissed Caleb's mother on her cheek and made his way out the front door.

"Caleb! Are you going to answer me?" His mother was sitting on the infamous couch, where she normally spent her afternoons, but this time, she was dressed. She was sipping on a frozen cocktail, and Caleb could tell that his surprise appearance had destroyed whatever plans she was having with Mr. Simms.

"Mom, please. It's serious." Caleb's voice was shaky. He knew his mother cared for both Adele and him, maybe not conventionally, but in her own weird way she cared. Caleb hoped that she would be able to answer his questions.

Caleb spent the next twenty minutes telling his mother everything, from their dad's discovery, to Ashleigh's worried confessions. Caleb's mother, sat expressionless on the couch, the entire time Caleb talked.

When Caleb was finished, he looked over at his mother, hoping that she'd be able to tell him what to do next. But she didn't. She didn't even speak for a few minutes. Instead, her reaction was the opposite at what Caleb had imagined. "Adele's perfectly fine. You're over-reacting." She said, taking a sip of her frozen concoction.

"Are you serious?" Caleb half yelled. His mother, pretty much destroyed his childhood of anything normal, had just told him that his sister was fine. "Have you seen her lately?" Caleb turned so he wasn't facing his mother anymore. He could barely fathom her reaction, but seeing her face was another thing. "You drink my childhood away, and one day out of the blue, you pretend like everything's normal. Wake up from this fantasy you're having Mother. You can only fool Mr. Simms for so long."

Caleb stormed off and without realizing it, ended up at Gorman's house. If his mother couldn't help, maybe his father could. He made his way inside, and a surprised Gorman greeted him.

"Caleb, what are you doing here? Why aren't you at school?"

"It's a long story," Caleb walked over to his father, "but I'd like for you to stay, so you can hear what's going on."

Gorman nodded, and took a seat next to Caleb's father.

"Dad, you remember when Adele came and visited you yesterday?" Caleb knew his father couldn't answer him, but seeing his eyes fixed on his own, he knew he had his attention. "Well, I think you know that Adele is sick. I've been hearing her throw up. She's exercising more than she ever has. And her friend, I don't know if you remember Ashleigh, well she came up to me today at school and said that she's worried about Adele. I went to talk with Adele at lunch, but I couldn't find her anywhere. Instead, I found her on the track field. She's been skipping lunch and running. I can't tell you the last time I've seen Adele eat a full meal. I'm scared, and when I talked to mom, she pretended that Adele was fine. I don't know what to do."

Caleb saw his father fidgeting with his wrists. As if on cue, Gorman put a pen into his father's wrist and held up a piece of paper. Caleb read what his father had written down.

"Doctor."

And Caleb knew exactly what he had to do.

**A few hours later…**

"Hi, is this Doctor Ruiz?" Caleb spoke into his phone. He had spent the past few hours researching doctors in the Boston area that specialize in eating disorders. If his mother wasn't going to help, Caleb figured he just do it on his own.

"Hi, Dr. Ruiz, my name is Caleb Danvers and I'm calling about my sister Adele. She has a serious problem..."

--

Caleb, although silent, knew everything. I don't know how to describe it, but I knew it. I knew that he knew. And I was scared.

The drive home from Gorman's normally takes about five minutes in the car. But for some reason, maybe it was silence, maybe it was the knowing, but it seemed like it took forever to get home.

Caleb put his Mustang in park and turned his body towards me, as if he was about to say something. I didn't want to listen to whatever he had to say, so instead of pretending to listen, I decided to avoid him altogether. I ran out of that Mustang and into my room as fast as I could.

I got up to my room, out of breathe, shaky from the nerves, and a nauseas feeling in the pit of my stomach. I took the nauseas feeling as a sign, and after I locked my bedroom door, I started in on my nightly routine.

Throwing up, brushing my teeth. Throwing up once more and brushing my teeth yet again. Self checks, first the shoulder blades, then the wrists. Everything checked out okay.

I stepped onto the scale and was extremely surprised to see that I had gained one pound. I had gone from 101 to 102. I had done nothing different than the past few weeks. If anything I exercised more, ate less, and threw up after every meal. How could I gain a pound from doing all that.

Disappointed with myself, I leaned over the porcelain bowl once more, and rid my stomach of any remaining components. I could not gain a pound. I was obese already as it was. I didn't need this. Why, out of all people in the entire world, was this happening to me?

I focused my eyes on all the body parts I hated in the mirror as I brushed my teeth for the third, and probably not the last time, that night. My arms were too flabby. My stomach was disgusting. My thighs, ugh, my thighs! Where should I start? They dimple, they move when I walk, they have no definition what so ever, and they're just so ugly to look at. I'm so ugly. I hate myself. I hate everything about myself.

I decided I'd punish myself, for gaining that one pound. I decided that I would do an extra 500 squats, tonight, tomorrow night, and for the rest of the week. I decided that I would not show myself any mercy.

I was going to pay for this. I was going to reap the repercussions of my weight gain.

I'm not sure if it was all the extra squats I had been doing, but my body was so tired the next few days. I felt like I was carrying around a ton of bricks, when holding just a light-weight, three pounds at the most, paperback book for my English class. Isn't exercise supposed to increase a person's endurance?

"Miss Danvers, the guidance counselor would like to see you." Mrs. Knight, my English teacher said.

I picked up my things and headed towards the office. I don't remember requesting a meeting with the counselor.

I walked up to the guidance counselor door, to find it already open. Inside, was a petite woman, maybe a few inches shorter than me, with long flowing brown hair and big brown eyes. She was wearing a red tank top and a pair of casual jeans. She looked maybe a few years older than me. She was really pretty. And really thin herself.

"Hi, are you Adele Danvers?" She questioned.

"Yes." I answered her back. I don't remember Spencer's ever having a guidance counselor that looked like this lady.

"Sorry, I'm new here. My name is Dr. Ruiz, why don't you have a seat?"

I stepped into her office and took a seat like she had asked. She reached behind me and shut the door. "I'm just trying to get familiar with all the students here." She said, reaching for a file. "I just wanted to know if you thought of any schools you wanted to apply for, after high school?" She smiled and I relaxed.

I spent the remainder of the period in Dr. Ruiz's office. She didn't seem like a guidance counselor. She kept asking me what I liked to do for fun and if I was experiencing any stress in my personal life. Her focus didn't seem to be on my studies too much, it was mainly about myself. Maybe she did that with everyone to make them feel more relaxed?

After school ended, I decided that the punishment I had set for myself a few nights ago was too weak. Instead, I decided to run two miles around the track field, before I ran the mile home. This should guarantee weight loss, not weight gain.

Just before I left the track field, I could have sworn I saw the new guidance counselor watching me from the school grounds. I brushed it off though. I was just being paranoid.

--

"Caleb, listen I know this is hard for you, but based on what I've seen, what I just told you is 100 percent true. I know this from experience." Dr. Ruiz was sitting, cross legged across from Caleb at the local indie coffee shop, just a few minutes away from Nicky's. She took a sip of her latte and hoped the words she just spoke were settling in on Caleb. She knew it must be hard for him, but in order to help his sister, he needs to accept the fact that she has a very serious problem.

"What do you think we should do next?" Caleb's eyes never left his frozen drink. He could barely handle Reid, over-using his powers lately, and his mother dating his best friend's father, he didn't know if he could handle his sister leaving him. She was all he had.

"I think we need to stage an intervention. Get everyone, your family, her friends, any one of any importance to Adele, to meet. Then we tell her that she needs help and hopefully she'll see that people are worried about her and she'll willingly go with me back to Boston. To get the help she needs. To get the help she deserves. And to give her family a piece of mind." Dr. Ruiz smiled over at him.

"How long will she be gone?"

"It depends. Treatment never really stops. I think she'll need at least a month inside the institution working with me directly. Then she'll be able to come home, to resume a somewhat normal life. I'll come down for weekly meetings and she'll need to be watched carefully, for any signs of relapse. An eating disorder doesn't go away overnight. For some people, it lasts their entire lifetime. Hopefully, for your sister, she'll learn how to manage her obsession, and learn to cope with her disillusions." She stopped talking for a moment, to sip on her luke-warm latte, and watch Caleb's reaction. He had a good poker face. For the first twenty minutes of their meeting, she wasn't sure that Caleb was fully understanding what she was saying. But now she could see the weakness in his poker face. She could see how his jaw was firmly set, his brows were burrowed, the poor boy was obviously going through a difficult time. "Caleb." Her voice was soft, like a mother trying to soothe her newborn baby to go back to sleep. "Caleb, this is not your fault. You're sister has an obsessive tendency. What she's going through has nothing to do with you, or your family, or friends. What she's going through is a brain disorder. A body image disorder. In her mind, she'll always find something imperfect about her body. It's got everything to do with the way she thinks, and that's what the treatment is for."

"I understand." By the tone of his voice, he wasn't fooling anyone. "When should we stage the intervention?"

Dr. Ruiz set her now empty coffee cup back on the table. "The sooner the better."

--

"Ashleigh, it's Caleb, can you meet me at my house in a half hour?" Caleb talked into his phone. He was driving home, from his meeting with Dr. Ruiz, and had called everyone from Tyler, to Gorman. He felt responsible for his sister's illness.

"Yeah I can. What's going on?" Ashleigh's voice sounded deep of worry and concern.

"I'll explain once everyone gets there." He hung up his phone. Now, all he had to do was convince his mother that Adele needed to go to Boston for a few months. He knew it was going to be harder than he imagined. He himself, was in denial for so long. But his mother. His mother's life was based on denial.

Caleb paced around the kitchen while everyone gathered into their house. His mother, his best friends Pogue and Tyler, Ashleigh, Kate, Sarah, and Dr. Ruiz were seated patiently around the room. Caleb was waiting for Gorman, who said he'd bring by his father, but had yet to mention it to anyone else. If his mother knew, she wouldn't have stayed. His mother was a selfish woman.

--

"Alright, so is this it?" Dr. Ruiz stood up, asking Caleb.

Before answering there was a knock at the door. "I've got a few more people, and I think they're here." He said, opening the front door. His father, being pushed in a wheelchair by Gorman were greeted with a quick hello and Caleb motioned for them to follow him.

"Alright, Dr. Ruiz, this should be it." Caleb said, moving out of the way, and letting Gorman and his father into the kitchen. Caleb saw his mother's reaction. It was a mix of shock and sadness that danced across her face.

Caleb took a seat, next to his father, and listened as Dr. Ruiz explained what was about to take place.

"Adele has a very serious eating disorder. I was contacted by Caleb a few days ago. He said he wasn't sure but he thought Adele was bulimic. I then decided I would pay a visit to Adele, without her knowing who I am. I went 'undercover' so to speak, as the new guidance counselor at her school. The school worked with me closely and after observing Adele for over a period of a few days, it is my conclusion, not only as a doctor but as a recovering bulimic patient, that Adele is in grave danger to herself. It's best that we seek immediate help, and if today goes as planned, than Adele should be in Boston, with me, by the end of the day." Dr. Ruiz looked around as she spoke. "This intervention, should not be a shouting match. Adele will resist, she will even deny she has any issues. But as her family and friends, I think your best approach should be calm and thoughtful. Don't force her. Don't argue with her. Just let her to do the talking.

"Adele will be home in a few minutes. Caleb is going to greet her at the door, and he will bring her into the kitchen. He will introduce me to Adele and I'll tell her the reasons as to why you're here. Like I said before, she will resist and deny, but don't let that discourage you. If she see's that you all are here to help her, and not to tell her what to do, she will go willingly. I'll ask her to get her things ready, and as she does so, I will allow you all to have time alone with Adele. Once everyone has had their chance to say goodbye, I will take Adele with me to my offices in Boston. She will undergo intense therapy and counseling sessions, she'll take nutrition courses, and she'll even see a personal trainer who will help her exercise the right way. She'll be on independent study from her classes here in Ipswich, but her therapy sessions should not interrupt her curriculum." Dr. Ruiz looked around, from face to face, to make sure her point was clear.

"There should be no outside interaction for an entire month, with the exception of Parent's Day, which is scheduled towards the end of my patient's stay. Family and friends are encouraged to come and visit for a few hours to see how Adele is doing. Other than that, the only updates on Adele will be given by me directly to the immediate family.

"I ask that all my patients cut off contact with the outside world to gain a sense of dependence upon themselves. It's crucial to the cognitive processes of any type of disorder."

Caleb looked around as Dr. Ruiz spoke. He noticed how sad Tyler had looked. He knew that this month without Adele was going to be hard for him, but it probably is going to be harder for Tyler. Because Adele and Tyler had that close of a friendship.

"Dr. Ruiz," Caleb interrupted his own thoughts, and stood up. "Adele will be here anytime now."

"Alright, Caleb go ahead and wait for her at the door. I'll answer any questions you all have here." Caleb got up and stood on the front porch. Sure enough, he could make out Adele's tiny figure, jogging up towards their driveway. She looked so frail and weak. He wondered how hard her body must be pushing itself just to get up everyday, he could only fathom how hard it must be for her to run home everyday.

"Sup Caleb, why are you outside?" She asked, as she took off her iPod arm back and stuck it into her backpack.

"Just thinking." He said. Inside, he was terrified. He hoped his sister would get better with the treatment, but he couldn't help but wonder what if it didn't work out. What if his sister only got worse? What if she… Nevermind. He didn't want to think of such a thing. "Will you do me a favor?" He asked his sister, hoping she'd agree.

Adele nodded her head.

"Will you grab a bottled water for me out of the fridge please." He smiled. Nervously.

Adele looked at him worriedly. Something was up. She could tell. "Okay, lazy ass." She said as she made her way into the kitchen, unaware that Caleb was walking behind her and unaware of what laid behind the doors she was about to push open.

--

I ran home extra hard that day. The faster I pushed myself, the faster the pounds would burn off.

It was a weird day altogether. I had this nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach, especially since I had asked to see Dr. Ruiz at school today, and the secretary told me there was no Dr. Ruiz that worked at the school. And then I ran into that Chase dude again and he insisted on walking me to all of my classes. I couldn't help but feel like something was wrong.

"Sup Caleb, why are you outside?" I greeted my older brother, who only added to worries. He looked like he was thinking hard about something. I pulled off my iPod armband and stuck it into my book bag.

"Just thinking." He answered me. No shit, I thought to myself. "Will you do me a favor?"

I nodded my head in agreement. "Will you grab a bottled water out of the fridge please?"

I rolled my eyes. I could tell something was up. Caleb was nervous, I could tell by the way he was fidgeting. "Okay, lazy ass" I mouthed off as I made my way into the kitchen. I was about to push open the doors when I heard a voice. Many voices. There were people in the kitchen. I pushed open the door and walking inside, to see my mother, Tyler, Pogue, Kate, Ashleigh, Sarah, Gorman, my dad, and Dr. Ruiz sitting around. They were talking until I entered the room. It was only obvious they were talking about me.

"What's going on?" I asked, looking around. Why the hell was Dr. Ruiz here? She wasn't at school today and when I asked about her the office staff had no idea who I was talking about. It was as if she a ghost or something.

"Hello Adele, do you remember me?" Dr. Ruiz stood up from her chair.

"Yes, you took me into your office only a few days ago." I reminded her.

"I've got a small confession to make Adele. I'm not a guidance counselor. I'm actually a doctor from Boston, I specialize in eating disorders." I could feel someone's gaze burn into my back. I turned my head and saw my brother standing in the doorframe. That asshole set me up. I turned back around, I couldn't stand the sight of Caleb right now.

"So, what does this have to do with me?"

"Adele, we're all here today because we care about you. We want you to lead a healthy and normal life." Dr. Ruiz stated flatly. Everyone else stayed silent.

"I _am_ leading a healthy and normal life." I mocked her.

"I spent the afternoon at your school to observe you Adele. And through my observations you definitely fall into an unhealthy category." So she was sent to school to spy on me?

"Maybe you're observations are wrong." I chided her. It could be true. That's the thing about science. All hypothesis are guesses at the beginning. And maybe her hypothesis was just a lucky guess.

"Adele, I know from experience about what you're going through. I used to do the same thing with my body, until I realized that what I was doing was not normal, and sought help." Her tone was warm. I've never been talked to like that before. My own mother, never talked to me like that. I felt like I could trust Dr. Ruiz. Don't ask me why.

"Why are you all here?" I asked, hoping Dr. Ruiz would shut up and I'd be able to talk someone else into letting me stay. "Tyler." I looked over at him, but he wouldn't look up. He stayed silent. "Dad?" I looked over at my dad, who's eyes were no longer twinkling. Which was a sign that my dad was upset. Acutally it was the only sign my dad was upset, because let's face it, nowadays it's hard to tell.

"Adele, I think you should spend some time with me, in Boston. To clear your head up and to help you fix your body. It'll only be a month and then you'll be able to come back and resume your daily life." Dr. Ruiz was approaching me now. I stepped back.

"Adele, please listen to her." I heard my brother's voice from behind me. "She knows what it's like. She knows what you're going through. She's here to help you."

I turned around to face that traitor once and for all. "Caleb, I hate you!" I spat out and ran past him into my bedroom.

I couldn't believe what was happening. After what had seemed like forever, I was finally getting a long with my brother, and I felt that we had more in common than I had previously thought. I felt as though Caleb cared about me. Until now. I knew he hated me. I knew this was just some sort of diversion to get me out of the house. He hated me and wanted me gone. End of story.

I ran into my closet and pulled out my suitcase. If Caleb wanted me gone, then fine I'll go. But I will never forgive Caleb. Never.

I started pulling random clothes from the hangers and flung them over my shoulder and onto my bed. I wasn't really thinking clearly. I was angry, upset, and confused. I heard a knock on my door and ignored it. The knock came again and I opened the door, to see Tyler.

"What do you want?" I spat out at him. He could have stood up for me downstairs. He could have told everyone to go away, and that I was fine. But he didn't. No one ever stood up for me.

Tyler walked into my bedroom and shut the door. He had a painful expression on his face, one that was hard to read. He looked confused, angry, and sad. It was a horrible expression I hoped I'd never see again. But what I hoped I never usually got. I probably would be seeing a lot of this facial expression in my sad and pathetic lifetime.

I resumed throwing things about my closet and dresser drawers. "Adele." Tyler was trying to get my attention. But I was about to have none of that. I ignored him and walked into my bathroom grabbing the essentials, like my toothbrush, makeup bag, and other personal necessities. "Adele," his voice was edgier. _Who knew Tyler Simms could have an edge?_

"What?!" I yelled out, throwing my stuff into my overflowing suitcase.

"Look at me" he demanded.

I obliged. "What do you want, _Tyler_?" I looked into his blue eyes and instantly regretted it. How could I do this, to him, to my family and friends, and to myself? I am such a horrible person. "I'm so sorry" I cried, throwing myself at him. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a hug. "I'm so sorry I did this to you Tyler." I said in between sobs.

"Adele, you're doing this to yourself." He said, in what I assumed he meant to be a reassuring comment, but it sounded more like he was degrading me.

I instinctively pulled away. "Tyler, I love you."

Why I said that, I don't know. Maybe I needed to be reassured of his affections at that time, or maybe I just didn't know what else to say. Maybe I really did love Tyler Simms. But the point is, is that I said it. And I regretted it. Because he didn't say it back. Instead, he told me he wanted what was best for me. He wanted me to be healthy and happy. And although I told him the only way I was going to be happy was if I was with him, he told me it couldn't be.

And after I kicked him out of my room and told him I hated him, I did the stupidest thing you could ever imagine. At the time, it felt like my way out. My only way out. I hadn't planned it out, because if I had, it might have worked. You see, on the top of my suitcase, laid a razor blade. A little, tiny, but oh so sharp razor blade that I used to shave my legs with. And when I saw that razor blade I had an idea. An idea that I acted out in the empty bathtub of my bathroom.

I raised my wrist up in the air and watched as the blood trickled down my arm. The physical pain hurt. But the emotional pain was unbearable. If Tyler didn't want me, than who would? I closed my eyes and drifted off into unconsciousness. Only to be awoken by the paramedics, and Dr. Ruiz's big brown eyes telling me that everything was going to be okay. Maybe it was the dreamlike state I was in, but I believed her. If Dr. Ruiz said everything was going to be okay, than it would be. I closed my eyes and fell back asleep into my dark and seeded dreams, where everything is perfect and improbabilities never exist.


	8. Chapter 7: The Institution

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Institution**

**Story of A Girl**

* * *

Everyone was downstairs, as Tyler approached, sitting back down in his seat next to Ashleigh, awkwardly quiet.

"Did you hear that?" Caleb asked everyone at once.

"Hear what?" Evelyn asked, looking over at her husband sitting in the wheelchair.

A loud _THUMP_ was heard and everyone looked up towards the ceiling.

"Oh shit!" Yelled Caleb, running up the stairs and into his sisters room. There was Adele, hunched over the bathtub, a razor in one hand and blood in the other. "SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. Following close behind him, Evelyn did as she was told. She ran downstairs and called 911.

"My name is Evelyn Danvers, I need an ambulance right away." She yelled into the phone. Dr. Ruiz had run up stairs and was trying to help Caleb with his younger sister.

"Gorman, get Edward out of here and we'll let you know everything as soon as we find out." Gorman nodded his head in agreement and took off, pushing Mr. Danvers as he ran. Everyone, except for the smaller group downstairs, thought Mr. Danvers was dead. Everyone with the exception of Dr. Ruiz. There was no point involving her in any of this.

"What's going on?" Sarah asked Evelyn, concern in her voice.

"A razor…" Evelyn's voice was cracking. Sarah moved closer and hugged her boyfriend's mother as she sobbed into her shoulder. "There's blood everywhere."

Tyler swallowed hard. He couldn't believe what he had just done. He loved Adele. But he could never forgive himself if Adele stayed because of him. She needed to go and get help. And now, she tries to kill herself? All because of him. Tyler felt guilty and responsible.

"What should we do?" Ashleigh turned towards Tyler. "What am I going to do without my best friend?" She started crying. Tyler, unsure of what else to do, pulled Ashleigh into a hug. Ashleigh clung to him and sobbed her heart out. Adele was her best friend and she didn't want to think of her life without her.

"Shh… it'll be okay." He tried to soothe her. Truth is, he had no idea if it would be.

A few minutes later the ambulance and the paramedics arrived. Evelyn showed them upstairs and they ran over towards Adele, still unconscious. "What happened here?" A paramedic, the size of Caleb asked Dr. Ruiz.

"An attempted suicide. We were staging an intervention. I'm a doctor, I looked her over and I don't think she hit an artery. She's unconscious from the blood loss and will probably need a transfusion." Dr. Ruiz stated.

A paramedic had already bandaged her arm and two others were lifting Adele onto a gurney.

Adele's eyes fluttered open and Dr. Ruiz took the opportunity to reassure her new patient. "Everything's going to be okay" she soothed, as Adele's eyes closed back shut. "Let's get her to a hospital and stitched up."

"Let's also stop and get this kid a cheeseburger. It looks like she hasn't eaten in over a week!" Another paramedic joked. Dr. Ruiz shot him a dirty look. If he only knew…

**A few hours later…**

Adele's eyes opened, slowly. She heard a familiar beeping noise in the background and thought she might have been at Gorman's again. Why would she be at Gorman's though? She looked around and saw that she was not at Gorman's as she had thought. No she was in a hospital, and before she could ask herself why, she remembered everything. The intervention, Tyler, and the razor.

"Hey Del" a voice from the corner came. It was Caleb.

"Hi" she had remembered what had happened with Caleb, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to talk to him or not.

"You've been out for a few hours." He looked as though he'd been up for over three days. He had dark circles under his eyes and his hair was aloof.

"I guess so." She shrugged. A sharp pain in her arm started up and she looked over and saw that her right arm was bandaged.

Caleb must have seen her face writhe in pain because he told her the doctor's were going to give her pain medication when she woke up.

"You should probably tell someone I woke up." Adele reminded him. She had never felt so much pain in her arm before.

Caleb stood up and did what he was told. He was just glad his sister was okay after all. He was able to get a nurse's attention and she administer Adele a few pills. After a few minutes of silence, the pain medication started working, and Adele started to relax.

"Where is Dr. Ruiz?" Adele asked, curiously.

"She's in the waiting room, with mom, Ashleigh and Tyler."

"Why is Tyler here?" Adele looked over at her bandage. Every time she was going to look at her wrist it was going to remind her of Tyler. She hated that.

"Adele, stop. Just listen to me for a few minutes okay." Adele did as her brother had asked her. She shut up and listened to Caleb tell her how much he loved and didn't want to see her hurt.

Adele rolled her eyes. "You're just saying that because Dr. Ruiz told you to. She probably said 'it's detrimental to her health, you better pretend that you care.'" Adele mimicked Dr. Ruiz's annoyingly chirpy voice.

"Is that what you think? You think that someone's telling me to pretend that I love you?" Caleb was angry. Adele didn't have to look at him to tell that his jaw was set. "Damn it Adele, there is a thing called unconditional love. It's something that brothers and sisters experience even when your little sister is being a pain in the ass."

Adele smiled when he said that. That was true, she could be a pain in the ass.

Caleb took a few seconds to calm himself, remembering what Dr. Ruiz had said about being angry. "You're my little sister and I love you more than you know."

Caleb's voice started to crack. Adele had never seen her brother like this before. Caleb looked up to see his sister staring at him. There was no doubt that Adele was watching him cry. He couldn't hold it in any longer. Adele sat there, in her hospital bed, stunned. Then realization must have hit her, and she cried too. For the first time in her life she knew she had someone that loved her, no matter what size she was, what color her hair was, or how much of an ass she could be. Caleb and Adele were brother and sister. And no one could take that away.

--

"What's taking them so long? Shouldn't she be up by now?" Ashleigh was getting antsy. She had been sitting in the waiting room for over three hours. She wanted to hear of some sort of update about her friend.

"Patience is a virtue" Tyler chuckled. He wasn't sure how he could laugh right now, and he surprised himself by doing it.

"Shut up Simms." Ashleigh teased him. "You're such a bitch sometimes."

"Did you just call me a bitch?" He was slightly amused at Ashleigh's straightforwardness.

Before Ashleigh could answer, Caleb walked out into the waiting room, looking as if he had just finished crying.

"Dr. Ruiz, Adele's up and she said she's ready to go when you are."

Caleb smiled over at Dr. Ruiz who pulled him into a hug. "It's about time you smiled kid." She said and Caleb knew that Adele was going to be in good hands.

--

We pulled up to Dr. Ruiz's office in Boston that night. It was rainy, cold, and windy and I just wanted to get the hell inside. The institution itself was nothing that I had imagined. I imagined something straight out of a movie, with padded walls and people walking around in white uniforms. Instead, it was much more relaxed here. The building itself resembled a large home, and as I walked inside I noted that no one was in a uniform here. It looked cozy, for an institution.

"Let's get you to your room." I was beginning to like Dr. Ruiz. She told me to call her Robbie, short for Roberta, but I wasn't so sure I trusted her enough to do that. She sang along with the radio, on the drive here from Ipswich, horribly too. Oddly, it made me relax.

We walked the length of the hallway and came to a room marked "222."

"Alright girl, here we go." She opened the door and we walked in. The room was half the size of my bedroom back home. It was a standard dorm sized room, with two twin beds pushed up against either side of the wall. Two desks, two closets, and about just enough breathing room for two people. Dr. Ruiz set my suitcase on the empty bed and looked around. "Chloe must be in group therapy right now" she said and looked at her watch. "Go ahead and get yourself situated in your new room and I'll go and get all the paperwork." She closed the door behind her and I looked around my roommates part of the room.

There was a Maroon 5 poster slanted on the wall, next to an Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp poster. "She can't be too bad if she finds them attractive" I said to myself. I looked around her desk and noted that everything was perfectly in its place. There was not one piece of paper out of place. She must be a neat freak.

I walked over to my bed and started to unpack my suitcase. I hadn't brought much of anything, just three different pairs of jeans, two shirts, and a pair of socks. Along with those I brought 12 pairs of panties, 4 bras, 3 different pairs of shoes and all of my make-up and necessities. I'm not sure what I had been thinking, otherwise I would have packed properly. Hopefully I'll be able to talk Dr. Ruiz into letting my brother come up with some extra clothes sometime soon. I missed Caleb, already.

I was almost done unpacking when I head my bedroom door open. In walked a girl, that looked to be around my age and height, with long dark hair that almost looked black and the prettiest blue eyes I had ever seen. "Hi, I'm Chloe" she said, stretching out her hand. I shook it, and as I looked carefully, I could see a faint scar along her wrist. _At least we have something in common. _

"I'm Adele" I greeted her back. "I guess we're roomies now" I laughed shyly.

"I guess so. So are you in here for that?" She asked, pointing to my bandaged hand while sitting down, Indian style on her bed.

"Sort of," I didn't meet her gaze. "I've got other issues as well."

"Eating disorder." She guessed correctly.

"How'd you know?" I was surprised. Maybe someone had told her beforehand.

"You're boney." She said it nonchalantly and shrugged her shoulders.

I wasn't sure what that meant. Maybe she meant I was too skinny, but as I turned around and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I knew exactly what boney meant. Jesus, I was thin.

"Do you like to read?" Chloe snapped me out of my reverie. She was holding up a book.

"Sure" I said. It was true, but I hadn't read in awhile. At least nothing that wasn't required by the school.

"You should read this. I think you might like it." She threw the book over and it landed on my bed. The Great Gatsby. _Maybe I will read it. _

"Thanks." I mumbled as I put the book on my desk.

"That's what friends are for right?" She laughed. I looked over at her and smiled. _Maybe this was the start of a new friendship?_

--

My month with Chloe was a blast. I know it sounds weird, here I'm living in an institution, recovering from an eating disorder and attempted suicide, and I tell you I'm having a blast. But I am. Chloe is an amazing person. She made me feel welcome since the first time I set foot into this place. She really is a wonderful girl.

The first few days I was a bit shy. There aren't too many people here, because Robbie doesn't want us to feel like we're apart of a system. Instead she said she wanted her practice to be welcoming. And I have to say, it worked. There were a total of eight girls living here, myself included. We all were going through some sort of eating disorder and I found that when we all got to talk about it, during group therapy, that I felt more at ease with myself.

A week into my stay Chloe told me that she was fifteen when she ran away from the orphanage. She never knew her parents and she and her younger siblings had been in government orphanages since she could remember. She also told me she had a younger brother and sister, that she can vaguely recall what they looked like because they were adopted when she was only ten. The family that adopted her brother and sister didn't want to adopt Chloe because she was too old. She just recently found out that her brother and sister were living in Kansas and only were just eight and twelve years old.

She ran away because she felt as though she was getting in everyone's way. She was the oldest girl at the orphanage and felt like she was never going to get adopted. She ran away and started living on the streets, where a lady name Janice took her under her wing and showed her how to sell her body. Chloe would then sell her body in exchange for money. Chloe would use that money to rent a cheap hotel room every night. Sometimes she'd skip the hotel room just so she could have enough money to eat. Those night, she slept in the streets.

I felt for Chloe. What she went through, I could never imagine. Sure my mom was an alcoholic, but I always had a place to sleep and food on the table, even if I didn't eat it. Chloe made me realize how lucky I was to have Caleb. If Chloe had a brother like Caleb, she probably would have never been on the streets.

I had started reading the book Chloe gave to me, The Great Gatsby. From the minute I picked it up I couldn't stop reading it. I finished it within a day. I loved the characters F. Scott Fitzgerald created. And weirdly enough, I found similarities between his character Daisy and I. We both needed the satisfaction of others before we'd be happy. And in a weird way, Daisy matured me. At least I think so. I guess, what I'm trying to say, is that I don't like the person I've become. And I want to change. I want to be healthy and I want to lead a normal life. I want to be a better me.

Robbie is another wonderful person. I'm so lucky Caleb had found her. The first few days, Robbie took me under her wing and told me stuff about her I don't know if she had shared with anyone else. Robbie was a specialist in eating disorders because when she was younger, she suffered from one. Her dad died when she was only thirteen years old and her mother had a string of marriages afterwards. One of Robbie's step-fathers, raped her and when Robbie told her mother, her mother didn't believe her. Instead, she shipped Robbie to her grandmother's in Los Angeles. Robbie told me she thinks it might have been the L.A. atmosphere but she felt fat when she would hang out with the other girls there. One of her new friends showed Robbie how to eat and then throw up, and soon that's all Robbie did. It wasn't until her grandmother caught her and took her to the doctor's that Robbie realized she had a problem. It was there that she decided she wanted to become a doctor, to help girls start over, and begin a new life.

So here I am, a few days before Parent's Day, eating dinner guiltlessly and talking with Chloe. To be honest, I don't want to leave this place. Not yet at least. But there's this part of me, in the very pit of my heart, that's aching to see Tyler. I know he doesn't love me the way I love him. But I really miss him. I really do.

"So, what are you going to do for Parent's day?" Chloe asked me, while shoving a spoonful of mashed potatoes into her mouth.

I thought for a moment, before I answered her. "I think my mom and brother are going to take us to lunch." I hoped she wasn't offended. I just didn't want to think of Chloe, reading a book alone in our room, while everyone was off with their families.

"Us?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You and me buddy. You and me." I laughed. She was my only confidante in this place, other than Robbie.

"Alright, if you insist." And she resumed the demolition of her dinner plate.

--

"Adele, it's time for your One on One." Melissa, the night secretary greeted me as I took my dinner plate to the kitchen. One on one's were meetings with just you and your doctor. Tonight, I was having my final evaluation with Robbie.

I set my plate into the sink and washed off the remaining food. I put my plate and fork into the dishwasher and washed my hands. I looked down at my right wrist and saw the fading scar, reminding me of Tyler. I dried my hands with a paper towel, threw it away, and walked up to the third floor where Robbie's office was located.

I knocked twice and when I heard a faint "Enter" I walked in and took a seat. Robbie had her head buried in paperwork, her reading glasses were only inches away from slipping off her nose, and her hair looked as though it hadn't been brushed in days. I knew that the final evaluations were hard for all the doctors. Robbie said it was the determining factor in dismissing patients.

"Girl, you have no idea how hard I've been working" she said as she saw me stare at her. I raised an eyebrow and we both laughed. "Alright alright, so I've been going through all the records and documents" she started as she pulled my file from a pile of other files. "And you've gained five pounds, which brings you to 107. For you're height, you're still under the normal BMI range but given you're improvement, I'm going to say that you are in full recovery. Congratulations!" She said as she stood up, leaned over her desk, and pulled me into a hug.

"Thanks" I said, happy about my progress.

"You did this yourself, you know? And although I'm going to miss you terribly, it'll be nice to get your ass out of here." We laughed again.

"I'll be making weekly visits and I've been in contact with your mother, so she'll be watching you very carefully until we think you can handle this on your own." She sounded more like a mother now, than a friend. "You'll be eating all your meals with supervision. You aren't to go to the bathroom alone, and if you throw up just once, your ass if back here. Do you understand?" Robbie, although shorter than me, could definitely scare anyone with the glare she was giving me.

"I understand." I answered, breathing a sigh of relief when her glare turned into a smile.

"Del, you have no idea how proud I am of you."

Tears started to form in my eyes. I really was going to miss this place. Mainly Robbie and Chloe the most.

"Now get the hell out of my office." I loved Robbie. She was amazing and demanding all at the same time. She was everything I wished to be, and more.

--

Parent's Day was here. In just a few short minutes I'd be reunited with my mother, brother, and even Ashleigh too. I couldn't wait to tell them the happy news; Robbie said I was free to go in just a few short days. And although I was delighted to be leaving, I was also a bit sad. Chloe was doing really well too, and she'd be leaving just a few days after my departure. But unlike Chloe, I had a place to go. She only had the orphanage, where she was the only girl of 16. I could see it in her eyes, her beautiful blue orb like eyes. It's hard to explain unless you see it for yourself firsthand. Chloe was doing wonderful and had no one but me to celebrate it with.

"Do you think they'll like me?" Chloe asked me, as we were straightening up our room, rather my side of the room, before my family would be here. There were two sides of the room, Chloe's and mine. Chloe's was in order, mine was not so much.

I didn't hesitate to answer her question. "Of course they will!" I reassured her. A few minutes later a knock came from the door. It was Melissa, the familiar secretary that worked swing shifts. Sometimes she was known as the night secretary, others she was just plain old Melissa.

"Girls, you've got visitors waiting for you downstairs." I smiled at Chloe and grabbed her hand.

"Come on, I can't wait for them to meet you." We rushed past Melissa and down the stairs, and I nearly cried when I saw all three of them standing there. Mom, Caleb, and Ashleigh.

I ran past the other families and jumped into my brother's arms. "Caleb!" I screamed out, I was so happy to see him.

"Calm down Del, calm down" he laughed as he set me down and gave me the biggest hug I've had in quite a while.

"Mom!" I know, how weird is it that I'm actually happy to see my own mother? But truth is, I couldn't be more elated. "I've missed you all so much" I said pulling her into a hug. She looked better, as in sober.

I turned over and gave Ashleigh a once over. She was wearing a letterman jacket and she was oddly quiet. "Ashleigh!" I yelled, once more, as I gave my best friend a hug. I was a little taken aback when Ashleigh didn't respond to me right away. But it's been a month, I told myself, she's probably just getting used to seeing me.

"Mom, Caleb, Ashleigh, I'd like you to meet Chloe, my roommate and best friend" I hadn't caught myself in time, otherwise I wouldn't have said that last part and maybe I would have noticed Ashleigh flinch.

"Hi there Chloe, it's wonderful to meet you." My mom said, as she surprised everyone, and pulled Chloe into a hug. My brother followed my mother's example and awkwardly, Ashleigh did too.

"So where are we going for lunch?" I asked everyone after Chloe and I had showed them around our room and the rest of the institution.

"What's everyone in the mood for?" My brother asked.

"Mexican?" Ashleigh suggested.

"Chinese?" My mom suggested as well.

"How about the Italian restaurant down the street. They've got killer pizza" Robbie added, as she walked into mine and Chloe's room. "Who could turn down some good old fashioned grease wheel?" I knew I liked her for a reason.

--

The six of us, (My mom, Caleb, Ashleigh, Chloe, even Robbie, and I) enjoyed the best pizza I've ever tasted that afternoon. After lunch was over and we made our way back to the institution, Robbie and Chloe left to have their one on one's, so I was able to have some alone time with my family.

Caleb and I caught up, mostly about how his swim meets were going and how he hopes to make it to state. He also mentioned that Chase was acting a bit weird, he didn't go into detail, but when Caleb talked about Chase, I could see that my brother was hiding something. I didn't press him for details, because I wanted this day to be happy and argument free. He also told me that my mom had stopped seeing Mr. Simms, which only made me think of Tyler. So for that part of the conversation, I selectively tuned his voice out and concentrated on the Johnny Depp poster on Chloe's side of the room.

Before everyone left, Ashleigh asked to speak with me alone. Not knowing what she was about to say I was a little nervous. I mean, Ashleigh was never this quiet. Today she had barely spoken a few words.

"So what have you been up to?" I asked her, nervously.

"Not much really. I went to the Fall Ball a few weeks ago." She looked around, avoiding me.

I had been looking forward to going to the Fall Ball, with Tyler. I had a dress picked out and everything. I wonder who he ended up going with? Or maybe he never went at all.

"How was it?" I asked, slightly interested.

"Pretty good, I mean the dance itself was pretty lame, but I had a great time." She perked up a little.

"Who'd you go with?" I wasn't really interested, I just wanted to keep her talking. I missed her so much and today she just wasn't acting like herself.

"Umm, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." She still avoided looking at me.

"Oh" was all I managed to say.

"Yeah, well you see, I didn't plan for it or anything but Tyler was the only one that didn't have a date and well Kate sort of suggested that Tyler take me instead…"

"You went to the Fall Ball with Tyler?" I was a little pissed. Actually, I'm lying. I was _extremely_ pissed.

"Yes." She answered shortly. _Why are her answers so short all of a sudden? What is Ashleigh hiding from me?_

"Just as friends though, right?"

"That's sort of why I wanted to talk to you alone today, it's sort of the whole reason I came up here to see you."

"Really, so you didn't just come up here to see how I've been doing?" I spat those words out like dirt. I was starting to lose my cool. I needed to take deep breaths.

"Adele, I'm trying here."

I stayed silent, concentrating on my breathing.

"Adele. Tyler and I started out as friends. He was sort of there when everything happened with you and I don't know how it happened, but it just did."

I didn't know what to say. I wanted to slap her, I really did. But what would that prove? I've spent an entire month learning about myself here with Chloe and Robbie, and I'd throw that all away over my best friend dating a guy I used to, or maybe still do, like? Slapping Ashleigh, or physically hurting her for that matter, wouldn't change anything. But it didn't mean I would not have liked to give her a little smack in the face.

The fact is, is that Ashleigh and Tyler are together. I can either accept that or not. The mature thing to do, would be to accept it.

Taking the mature route, I told Ashleigh I was okay with it. I really wasn't, I mean, the second everyone left I started sobbing, but if Tyler had to be with anyone in the world, and it couldn't have been me, I'm kind of glad it was her. What am I saying? He should be with me not her!

Luckily Chloe had finished her one on one with Robbie and had come back to our room in the middle of my crying spell. She sat on my bed, holding my had against her shoulder as I poured my heart out to her. And being Chloe, she just sat there and listened to me. Finally, as I had finished up my ranting, Chloe said the wisest thing I've ever heard; Love is out there not to be sought but to be found.

I went to bed that night re-reading The Great Gatsby. I might have mentioned this before, but when I first read this book, I found that I had a lot in common with Daisy. But as I read the book for the second time I couldn't have disagreed with her more. Maybe I was that selfish, pampered, superficial girl I had come here as. Maybe I was the independent, mature, and compassionate girl I had always wanted to be.

As I closed my eyes and fell asleep for the night, I dreamt of the Gatsby and Daisy love affair. This time, Gatsby was played by Tyler, and Daisy was played by Ashleigh.


	9. Chapter 8: The Return Home

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Return Home**

**Story of A Girl**

* * *

October 24th, was the happiest and saddest day of my life. It was the day I had to leave Chloe and Robbie behind and head home to Ipswich. All morning I held onto Chloe, hoping that not even the jaws of life, could tear our grip apart. Chloe and I promised to call each other every day, and I gave her my address, if she was ever to stop by Ipswich.

Caleb picked me up in his beautiful Mustang and I waved goodbye as we drove off, back to place I used to call home.

"Mom and Dad got back together." Caleb asked me, after we had stopped and picked up some coffee, for a quick caffeine boost.

"You're shitting me." It came out more as a statement than as a question. I took a sip of my delicious and chocolaty coffee beverage. Mmm, Starbucks.

"No, I'm not. Apparently the stress of everything got to them, in a good way." He laughed, as he popped a CD into the stereo and AC/DC's 'Back in Black' started playing.

I smiled. At least something good happened out of my mess. My mom and my dad back together? Hey if Hefner could pull chicks a third his age, why not my poppa? I mentally laughed at my joke.

I looked down and traced the scar on my wrist. It was only a faint scar, and I covered it up with a bracelet Chloe had made me a few weeks ago. I smiled, remember how after she had given me the bracelet I teased her about idolizing Martha Stewart. She then called me Bertha, Martha's jealous best friend. From then on, we referred to each other as Martha and Bertha.

I missed Chloe so much. It was beyond words.

We pulled up to the house I had grown up in, with a line of cars parked in the drive way. "Caleb, what's going on?"

Caleb smiled. "Mom's throwing a surprise party." _So much for the surprise!_

I raised an eyebrow. "It's not such a big surprise after I pull up into a driveway full of cars."

We laughed and made our inside.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled as they jumped out from their hiding places and greeted me with hugs. Everyone except for Tyler and Ashleigh.

Caleb took my stuff up to my room for me, and I greeted everyone as best as I could. I purposely avoided Ashleigh and Tyler for as long as I could. Everyone including Gorman, my parents, my brother and his three friends, Sarah, and Ashleigh were here. I wished Chloe could have been here.

After talking with Sarah for a while, and finding out that Kate had transferred out of Spencer's because her and Pogue broke up, I decided that I should bite the bullet and go talk to Tyler and Ashleigh.

I was making my way over to the living room, where they were at, when I nearly had a heart attack. They were holding hands. I know, I know, you're probably thinking that's harmless right? But it's not that easy to see when you're still so in love with the guy that's holding your best friends hand. I stopped walking and turned around. I needed fresh air, ASAP.

I pushed open the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. I closed it shut behind me and leaned over the wooden railing, taking in the scenery of my back yard.

"Rough crowd?" A voice from the side of me came.

I turned to see Pogue, sitting in the reclining chair, drinking a Heineken. He was wearing his signature leather jacket, jeans, and biker boots. He was still the same sexy Pogue I had remembered him to be. I hadn't seen him when I had walked out from the house.

He noticed me staring at the bottle of drink in his hand and offered the bottle to me. I politely declined, although I was tempted to take a swig.

"Let me guess? It's Tyler and Ashleigh." He took another sip. The beer was almost gone. I looked down at the patio floor next to him and saw that this was the last beer out of the six pack. If that were me, I would have been wasted by now. In fact, I probably would have been passed out already.

"It's just different." I need to stay positive. It's like Robbie had told me: One negative thought will turn into a million. "I'm happy if they're happy. I guess I just need some time to adjust to it." I wasn't just saying this to Pogue. I was really trying to convince myself too.

"I guess so. I don't know if that would be my approach if I were you." He chuckled.

"And what would be your approach?" I asked him, taking the seat next to him.

"I'd kill Tyler if that was my girl. You know, physical harm." We laughed. "You know, Kate and I broke up."

"That's what Sarah told me when I asked her where Kate was."

"Yeah, but did she tell you why we broke up?"

"Not really, I don't think Sarah would have told me anyways. It's really isn't anyone's business."

"We broke up because Kate wasn't you."

A few moments went by and I realized I had been holding my breathe. "What?" _Did I just hear him right?_

"I know this probably sounds stupid, but ever since that incident at the Mexican restaurant, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. And after you left for Boston I finally realized that what I had with Kate wasn't nearly what I had been feeling for you."

I could feel my eyes pop out of my head. This is shocking._ Pogue Parry likes me?_

"You know, you can say something now."

I realized that I had been silent for quite some time.

"I don't know what to say, really?" It was true. I was speechless.

"Tomorrow's Friday night, and we're all going to Nicky's like usual. Why don't you come… with me?"

Oh my God, Pogue Parry was really asking me out. Should I move on, and start something new with Pogue, or should I continue to dwell on Tyler and Ashleigh and stay stuck in the past?

"I'd love to." I agreed.

So that was that. Pogue and I were going on a date, tomorrow.

Maybe things were looking up for me after all.

--

I had finally gotten everything settled back into my once familiar settings. A few changes had been made while I was gone. There were no longer any locks on any of the bathroom doors around the house, a huge white board was put up in the kitchen to use as a reminder of all the different appointments we had going on, and my mother had taken the time to learn a few things about nutrition while I was away. She developed a monthly menu, based on some guidelines Robbie had given her, and she was making sure to stick by them. Tonight, before I was allowed to go on my date with Pogue, Caleb and I were to eat a dinner consisting of baked salmon and vegetables. Oh, and I should mention I wasn't allowed to eat by myself. But I wasn't worried about that anymore. In fact, I was sort of looking forward to our family dinners.

A few minutes after dinner, a knock on the front door was heard. "Will you answer it please?" I asked Caleb. He nodded his head in agreement and I ran upstairs to change quickly. I threw on a pair of washed out jeans and an AC/DC t-shirt. I let my hair hang loose, and added eyeliner and lip gloss. There was no need to spend three hours applying different types of make-up and restyling my hair in different ways. I looked in the mirror and smiled. This was me.

I ran downstairs and smiled when I saw Pogue waiting for me. He was wearing that leather jacket again. Boys in leather jackets are hot.

"Hey, you look great!" He said as we walked outside. He handed me a spare helmet from his bike and helped me put it on. I couldn't believe I was getting to ride on the Ducati.

"Thanks, so were going to Nicky's right?" I watched Pogue swing his foot over the side of his bike and hop on. I did the same.

"Yeah, with Caleb and Sarah. Is that okay?" I wrapped my arms around his middle as he started the yellow bad boy up.

"Of course it is." I clung tighter as we left my driveway. The vibrations from the bike, not to mention I was straddling one of Spencer's leanest swimmers, was a feeling I hoped to never forget.

--

Despite double dating with Caleb and Sarah, I had a lot of fun on at Nicky's. The four of us sat around, talked for awhile, and played a little pool. I'll admit that I caught myself glancing around a few times, searching for Tyler, but Pogue was nothing but a perfect gentlemen. And he was my date for tonight, not Tyler.

"So, what do you think?" Sarah asked me as I washed my hands in the sink. For some reason, Sarah liked to follow me everytime I went to the bathrooms. I'm sure it was Caleb's probing that made her do it, since I'm not allowed to go to the bathroom unattended. But I like to think that us girls like to stick together.

"About Pogue?" I reached over and grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser.

"Duh!" She giggled.

"I think I'm enjoying our date tonight." I smiled at her. Despite being annoyingly in love with my brother, Sarah was actually kind of cool.

"Well, I know that I haven't seen Pogue smile this much in a while." She said over her shoulder as we made our way back to our dates at the pool table.

--

"You know, surprisingly, I had a lot of fun tonight." I teased Pogue as he walked me up the front door of my house.

"Yeah, surprisingly, huh? You were actually decent company." He teased back. He ran his hand threw his hair.

"Decent is what I was going for." I half laughed.

"You want to do this again sometime?" He was nervous. I was making Pogue Parry nervous.

"I would love to Mr. Parry." I gave him a little bow. He laughed.

"Can I kiss you?" That caught me off guard. I nodded and Pogue leaned down.

The kiss was simple and fun. He ran his fingers through my hair as his tongue slid into my mouth. Soon, the one kiss turned into two, and then three. And before I knew it, we were making out.

"Adele." Pogue stopped me before I shut the front door.

"Yeah?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

--

"Do you think we can talk for a minute?" Tyler asked Ashleigh while leaning against him, her head on his shoulder, sitting on his bed in his dorm room.

They had spent the evening in, after Tyler had heard that Pogue was taking Adele out to Nicky's. Reid may have been a pain in his ass, but Tyler was grateful the kid had warned him not to go. Tyler and Ashleigh decided to catch up on their favorite movies, Die Hard and The Notebook. Tyler couldn't help but think how very different their movie choices were. Sometimes, opposites don't attract.

"Sure, what'd you want to talk about _babe_?"

He hated how Ashleigh had given him nicknames since the day they started dating. Honey, Sweetheart, Babe. He found it annoying. His name was Tyler. And only his three best friend could call him Baby Boy. Everyone else could suck it.

"Us." He stated, getting up and turning off the tiny flat screen TV he and Reid shared.

"What's wrong _babe_?" Ashleigh didn't even look up. She knew this was bound to happen. She loved Adele but she hated how her boyfriend was caught up with her best friend.

"This isn't working out." He had been rehearsing his words all afternoon, in his head. He knew he wanted to be honest with Ashleigh. He didn't want to lead her on any longer.

"_Babe_, is this because of Adele being back? I already told you I'm fine with the two of you being friends." It was true, every time she saw Tyler, she made it her mission to tell him that being friends with Adele was okay.

Just friends.

Tyler was thinking of what to say next. He had it all planned out but for some reason, his words just escaped him. He forgot everything he had rehearsed.

"Do you love her?" Ashleigh knew the answer before even asking the question. She knew it all along. She just needed to hear him say it.

Tyler nodded and Ashleigh left without saying another word to him.

He felt guilty, for hooking up with Adele's best friend while she was away. It was the comfort thing, he had guessed, that had made Ashleigh seem so attractive. But the second he saw Adele at her party the other night, he knew in his heart that Adele was the one for him. Ashleigh, as wonderful of a person as she was, was not Adele.

--

"You don't have to answer that right away" Pogue looked a little sad.

After he had asked me to be his girlfriend I had zoned out. I had started thinking of Tyler and Ashleigh, and began wondering what the two of them were doing, when Pogue brought me back to earth.

"No, no that's not it, Pogue really." I reassured him. I can move on, or I can dwell in the past. And dwelling in the past will only make me depressed. Depressing thoughts can lead to a relapse, or so I learned during my stay with Robbie and Chloe.

"It's okay, I understand that it's a lot to think about." He turned around and walked down the steps of the front porch.

Sighing, I ran after him.

"Pogue, do you mean it?" I reached for his arm and pulled him around.

"Yeah." His hazel eyes met mine.

"Okay." My answer even shocked me. But if Tyler had moved on, it was about time I did too.

Pogue leaned down and kissed me one last time before leaving for the night. I closed my eyes and heard him ride off into the night.

I opened my eyes and sat down on the bottom step of the front porch, looking up into the night sky. It was a clear night outside, which is rare for my town, given this time of year. Normally all we see are rain clouds and fog. When I was younger, during the summer nights with clear skies like this, my parents would let Caleb and I stay up late. My mom would lay a blanket out on the grass and the four of us would lay down, watching the stars. My dad would point out the different constellations, and one summer night we all caught sight of a falling star. My dad told me that I had to make a wish, and my wish that year, was to get a pink bike for my birthday. Caleb had made a big deal about it, saying the wish wasn't going to come true, because I had said what I wanted out loud. But that year, for my birthday, I got that pink bike.

And I stood there, sitting on that bottom step, watching the sky. And for some unknown reason, fate maybe, I caught sight of a shooting star. And I wished, with all my heart, that I could love Pogue the same way I had loved Tyler.

--

I spent the next day, Sunday, with Sarah. It was definitely weird, because I felt as though I was taking Kate's place. Hanging out with Sarah and mackin' on Pogue. It was just an eerie feeling. Like I had stolen Kate's identity or something. Sarah and I talked throughout our stroll of downtown Ipswich, and I found her to be more relatable than ever. She too, liked to study. And she liked Joan Jett. This girl was almost flawless.

I spent Sunday night going over all of my independent study papers. From math to history, my teacher's did not give me a light load. They didn't know why I was on independent study, but I'm sure that even if they had known, they wouldn't have eased up any better. I had stayed on top of the homework when I was in Boston, but I just wanted to double check everything and make sure the homework I was going to turn in, was completed and completed the right way. Maybe I was a little obsessive and compulsive about my homework? Maybe I took pride in my studies? Maybe I was still a fucking nerd? I had a feeling that last one was never going to change.

The next day at school, I felt unusually happy to be back. I hadn't realized that I could miss the familiar school halls, or the smell of old books so much. By the time lunch came around, the entire school knew of Pogue and I. To top that off, I hadn't seen or heard anything from Tyler or Ashleigh. I'm not sure what I would have done if I had seen them together, let alone by themselves. I kept telling myself that I was a more mature person throughout the day, but I couldn't help but glance around, in hopes that I would see him.

Girls whispered behind my back and guys stayed as far away as possible, as Pogue and I walked hand in hand from lunch to my art history class. The class I had with Tyler. _Just Tyler_.

To be honest, I wasn't with Pogue to make Tyler jealous. I honest to God did have some feelings for Pogue. After all, this guy had been the dude I was crushing over since before I even hit puberty. Pogue was tall, lean, sexy, funny, and did I mention he looked pretty good in a Speedo? Tyler was shy, quiet, thoughtful, annoyingly smart, obnoxiously right 100 percent of the time, and a pain in my ass. But I couldn't stop thinking about him.

"I'll see you after 8th period." Pogue leaned down and kissed my cheek. I nodded and walked into the classroom. I felt stares follow me as I walked over and took my seat in the front of the class. No Tyler in sight.

--

For the rest of the day I dealt with the gossip of the prep school girls as best as I could. I ignored them and occasionally sent a glare in their direction. I know, I said I was trying to be mature, but some of the shit they were saying was really starting to piss me off.

"_Did you hear, Adele went to rehab? She totally looks cracked out." _

"_Adele ran off and eloped with an immigrant from Venezuela."_

"_She got involved in a sex trafficking scandal."_

But my favorite, and it's a pretty good one too, was the one where I mysteriously got involved with a hit man and went to live with him in the ghettos of downtown Boston. I then became head of the Mob and sent someone to attack Kate Tunney, which made her transfer to a different school, which is how I got my new boyfriend.

I was walking out of my last class for the day, physics, where I ran into Chase. You know, the dipshit that scared the shit out of me at the beginning of the school year. He was in a hurry, and bumped right into me, knocking my physics text book out of my hand. I bent over at the same time he did to pick it up, and we bumped foreheads.

"Great job" I reprimanded him massaging my now tender forehead.

"Sorry, I guess I didn't see you there." He handed me my book and stood up. "I'm not sure how I missed those thighs though." He stormed off.

I looked down at my thighs and I could feel my face turn red.

--

That night, at our family dinner, I started falling into my old habits. I picked at my food, thinking of my thighs the entire time I chewed and swallowed. Sensing something was wrong, my mom suggested that I call Dr. Ruiz and talk to her about it. Maybe it was just my mother's intuition, but she was right. I called Robbie and told her everything, from Chase's comment to how I was starting to feel guilty for eating again. Robbie decided that it would be best if she came down and paid me an early visit. Much to my surprise, my mother agreed to let Robbie stay with us for a few weeks.

After I told Caleb what had happened with Chase, he mysteriously disappeared for a few hours after dinner. I tried to call Pogue to see if he knew where Caleb was, but Pogue never answered his phone.

"Mom, have you seen Caleb or heard from Pogue?" I called from the kitchen, thinking she was in the living room. I got up and started walking from the kitchen to the living room. "I've been trying to get a hold of-" I stopped mid-sentence, and stopped walking altogether when I saw Caleb, Pogue, Reid, and _Tyler_ in my living room.

"Hey baby." Pogue greeted me. The four of them were standing in a line, in the middle of the living room. I was waiting for someone to start singing and dancing, because that's exactly what they looked like; Ipswich's version of 98 degrees.

"Hey." I quickly glanced at Tyler to see that he was staring down at his feet, which he has a habit of doing, then turned on my heel and began walking the other way, as fast as I could… without looking too suspicious.

"Where do you think you're going?" Pogue caught up with me before I could even make it back into the kitchen. I could feel his hot breathe on my ear. He grabbed a hold of my shoulders and turned me around, so now I was facing him. "We came to talk to you, about Chase. We should probably fill you in on what we found out."

"Okay" It came out more as a mumble rather than an answer. Pogue, was being way to desirable for his own good. Whether he knew it or not, his breathe on my ear, his hands on my shoulder, I know it doesn't sound too sexual… but it was. It really fucking was.

He grabbed my hand and led me back to the living room. We all sat down and Caleb started talking. All four of them looked on edge and jittery.

According to my brother, my boyfriend, and their two other friends, Chase was actually a witch as well. It didn't make any sense, so I'll spare you the details. To sum it up, Chase was bad. End of story.

--

"You know, I don't think you're fat. I never have." Pogue and I were sitting outside on my porch, later that night. The air was very muggy and not at all like the raw, crisp, and chilly Fall air it should be for this time of year.

"Yeah…" I answered him, my mind drifting back to what Chase had said earlier that day. I looked down at my thighs. I sighed.

"Stop thinking about him."

I looked over at Pogue who was staring down at me. "I'm trying not too." It was true, I was pushing Tyler as far away as I could. _Wait, he was talking about Chase wasn't he?_

"He said that only to get under your skin. I think your thighs are sexy." He chuckled, while one of his hands ran their way up my leg.

I'm not sure exactly what led to it, but one second Pogue and I are sitting on my front porch and the next we're in a heated make-out session. His hands were all over the place. In my hair, up my shirt… I was a little disappointed when we he stopped and said he had to go. I wanted it to go further. A lot further. Fuck you hormones!

"I'll see you tomorrow at school" Pogue got onto his sexy yellow bike and drove away.

"Yeah." I said to no one in particular. My mind was full of dirty thoughts.

--

The next day at school was Chase-free. He was in none of the classes we had together and I didn't see him roaming the halls of Spencer's in between classes. I did however, get to see Pogue at swim practice later in the day. And the thoughts I had been thinking the previous night, were innocent compared to the thoughts I had, when I saw him in that tiny little Speedo he wore for an hour and a half straight.

The best thought came to me when Pogue slowly emerged from the water, after coach had told everyone that practice was over. It all happened in slow motion too. Pogue was emerging from the water, soaking wet, and still in that tiny Speedo, running a hand through his damp hair. It was like a walking ad for Gay Man's Viagra. In three words, It was hot.

"Want to go to Nicky's later?" I was snapped out of my fantasy. I looked over at Pogue who was now fully dressed, although his hair was still slightly wet. I was alone on the bleachers. Everyone must have left while I was deep in thought, fantasizing abut a chiseled Pogue-God coming back to earth, and claiming me as his servant.

"Can't, Robbie's coming down from Boston and she should be here by the time I get home from school. You should come over for dinner." I replied casually. He had no idea what he was doing to me, just standing there, looking like… well… looking like Pogue.

After Pogue agreed to have dinner with my family and I, I met up with Caleb, and we rode home together.

"You know, you did promise you would take me car shopping when school first started up." I reminded him.

"That was before you stole Mom's car." He did have a point.

Touché.

I let my mind wander back to Pogue for the rest of the drive home. I know fantasizing isn't good for you. But I just could help it.

_Pogue and Adele Parry._

_Mr. and Mrs. Parry. _

_Lord and Lady Parry._

--

We pulled up to our house and I saw Robbie's car in the drive. The fact that she drove a Toyota and not some yuppie BMW made me like her even more.

I ran inside and found Robbie and my mother talking and laughing like they were old friends. Robbie was wearing a Hilary inspired dark grey pantsuit while my mother was wearing a dark green, long-sleeved sweater dress. I was a little shocked to see them laughing like that. _They couldn't have anything in common, could they?_

"Robbie!" I exclaimed and ran over to her. I hadn't stopped thinking about her and Chloe since I returned home.

"Hey there Kiddo. How are you?" She smiled warmly.

"Eh." I answered and we all laughed.

"Honey, will you put your stuff upstairs and change out of your uniform. I'm about to do a load of laundry and I noticed you're wearing you're last clean set of uniforms."

I looked over at my mother, a confused and bewildered expression spread across my face. _Since when did my mom start doing laundry again? And when did she start calling me honey?_

Instead of arguing, I was far too confused to do that anyways, I did as I was told. I came back downstairs and handed over the uniform I had been wearing to my mother. Caleb must have seen the confused look on my face because he raised an eyebrow at me as I sat down across from him at the table.

A few minutes later, after Robbie and I had caught up, my mother decided to make her exit from the house, to the grocery story, taking Caleb with her. I laughed, as my brother got up from the table with a confused look on his face while I raised my eyebrow at him. He must have figured out why I was acting so confused. My mother was starting to act like her old self again. Like an actual mother. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not.

--

"So tell me, what exactly did this Chance guy say to you?" Robbie took a sip of her water.

"Chase," I corrected her, "told me that he wasn't sure how he ran into me with my thighs being so huge." So I didn't quote him word for word. Sue me.

"And what'd you do afterwards?"

"I came home and I didn't eat until dinner. And even then I didn't want to eat."

"What was going through your mind when you were eating?"

I thought about that for a moment, and then answered. "My thighs." I changed the subject quickly though, because I didn't really want to talk about my body anymore. "Have you heard from Chloe?"

"She left a few days after you did," She paused. "I haven't heard anything from her at all." Robbie's voice was a little deeper than usual and I could sense that she was worried. I didn't press her on the subject of Chloe anymore because my mother and brother had returned home the grocery store.

--

My mom sent Caleb and I upstairs to work on our homework while her and Robbie started making dinner. I took the time to ask Caleb if he thought mom was just putting on a show for Robbie. I was surprised to hear him say that mom's been different since her and my dad got back together. I had no idea what 'together' meant because the only time I saw them together was at my party and I highly doubted they were dating, because everyone except for the covenant and a few close friends thought my dad was dead.

An hour or so went by until Pogue and Sarah arrived for dinner. We were all sitting around the table, getting ready to eat when the doorbell rang. I noticed there were two empty seats at the table.

"Oh that should be them now." My mother said as she turned around and walked out of the kitchen to open the front door.

"Who did mom invite?" I asked Caleb who was sitting directly across from me.

Instead of answering me, Caleb lifted his chin in my direction. I turned around and smiled. Gorman was pushing Dad in his wheelchair over towards the table. Thank God it wasn't Tyler and Mr. Simms. Now that, would be awkward.

It was the first time I had a family dinner with my entire family in years. Although Robbie, Sarah, Pogue and Gorman were there as well it felt as thought it was just my Mom, Dad, Caleb, and I. Just the four of us together again, eating a normal dinner, and just being a normal family.

And it was a wonderful feeling.

--

After dinner was over, Gorman and my dad left, Sarah and Caleb went upstairs, Robbie and my mom were cleaning the dishes, so Pogue and I decided to hang out on the back patio.

A year ago, I would have never thought I'd be laying next to Pogue on a recliner, participating in a very sexy and very sloppy make out session. Both of his hands rested on my ass, both of my hands were entangled within his hair, and occasionally we'd make either a grunt or moan when the other had to pull away for air.

"We should take this upstairs." I said in between kisses.

I was answered by his hand smacking my ass. I giggled. Pogue liked it rough. I sat up and was about to pull him up when Robbie decided to she wanted to interrupt us. I could never express how much hate I felt towards her in that very moment. It was cynical, sadistic, and very intense. If looks could kill, she'd be dead.

"Hey, we need to finish our little talk." She smiled widely. She knew she was interrupted. She wasn't very sly about it.

"Talk about what?" Pogue asked, as he stood up and adjusted his jacket.

"The birds and the bees." I could have sworn that was what Robbie said as she turned and walked back into the house.

I looked over at Pogue who was grinning ear to ear. Yeah, I had heard Robbie right. And apparently, Pogue did too.

"She's outstayed her welcome." I laughed as I walked him out of the house.


	10. Chapter 9: The Reality of My Heart

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Reality of My Heart**

**Story of A Girl**

* * *

I closed my eyes and hoped I'd fall back asleep. It was three in the morning, still dark and chilly outside, and I had to be up for school in the morning. I turned over in my bed and watched as the clock changed from 3:11 to 3:12 to 3:13. Finally it was 3:46 and I still couldn't fall back asleep. I couldn't stop thinking. I couldn't stop thinking about Ashleigh and Tyler.

Ashleigh had avoided me since I came back to school. I saw her at lunch sitting with Kira the other day, and although I was trying to be mature, I couldn't muster up the strength to go sit with them. Kira was a nasty bitch. She treated everyone like shit. And I couldn't stand that. I would never get along with Kira. Ever.

I had been spending more and more time with Sarah and had formed a close bond with her. Sarah was different from all the other girls my brother has dated in the past. She had substance, not just perky tits. Sarah knew that Apple was a huge computer company, and not just a fruit. She knew the difference between Portugal and Spain, and even knew where to locate them on a map. Sarah was outgoing, funny, and she was a sweetheart. But as great as Sarah was, she wasn't my best friend. No one could replace Ashleigh.

Memories flooded my mind. There was this one time, in third grade, when Benny the class troublemaker broke my crayons, and Ashleigh punched him square in the face. That was the start of our friendship. And then there was the time I got my period for the first time, Caleb had told me that I was going to die, but Ashleigh just insisted that I was better than him because I could bleed for a week straight and not die. Caleb stopped teasing me after that. I smiled, as I remembered the first time Ashleigh kissed a boy. His name was Thomas but everyone called him the Tiny Tommy. He was short, scrawny, and wore braces up until he moved to Tennessee a few years back. They were on the monkey bars one day during recess in the sixth grade. I remembered how Ashleigh ran up to me crying saying Tiny Tommy just violated her. I laughed as that memory played over and over in my head. I would hate to have the end of our friendship be over a boy.

And Tyler. I couldn't stop thinking about him either. I blushed as I thought back to the time I had told him I loved him, right before I tried to kill myself. Did I really love him? I think so. I mean, I've never been in love before, but I'm pretty sure what I had felt for Tyler doesn't compare to what I feel for Pogue.

Pogue. He's a great boyfriend, he really is. He's funny, great to look at, but we really have nothing in common other than my brother. He likes riding his bike, and don't get me wrong, I like watching him ride his bike, but I'd rather be shopping or hanging out with friends. But I liked Pogue, maybe not as much as I used to like Tyler, but I still liked him nonetheless. He had this sensitive side, in addition to his biking rebel personality. It was a nice contrast, and they complimented each other.

I needed to do something. I know that things in life change, but why should friendships? I sat up in my bed and found my laptop. If Ashleigh was going to ignore me at school then fine. But I might as well try to get her attention another way. I could accidentally run into her at school tomorrow and risk running into Kira, or I could get her attention a different way. Via e-mail maybe.

Powering on my silver robot, I clicked on internet explorer and signed into my email account. Letting my heart do the talking I started typing furiously onto my computer.

_Hey Ashleigh, _

_I know that we haven't talked lately, but I just wanted to you to know that I miss you a lot. I know it's probably not easy for you, dating Tyler and being friends with someone who used to have feelings for him, but I wanted you to know that I'm okay with it. I mean, I want you to be happy. And if Tyler makes you happy than I'm happy for you. _

_I miss you a lot._

_Del._

Re-reading the email three different times, I finally sent it. It was short but sweet. It was perfect. I turned my computer on power save, and returned back to bed. I laid on my side, and pulled the covers up and over my head. I closed my eyes and fell back into a peaceful sleep.

--

"Alright Kiddo, we're going to work on a few meditation methods today, just to help manage the stress." Robbie and I were sitting Indian style, on my back porch. Robbie was decked out in a yoga outfit, while I was still in my pajama's. It was odd, being up as the sun was just rising, but I figured Robbie had a good reason for waking me up this early. Either a good reason or a death wish. And I'm hoping it isn't the latter. I'd really hate to be rid of Robbie for good. She's pretty cool despite being an early bird.

"So just breathe in deep like this," she demonstrated for me, "And breathe out. Breathe in deeply… and breathe out." Her eyes were closed and I could tell she used this meditation method herself.

I studied her for a moment. Robbie was beautiful, with shoulder length dark brown hair and huge chocolate brown eyes. She was barely past her 30's, and although she denied repeating her 29th birthday for the past decade, I believed her. She was beautiful, full of life, and I loved being around her. She was like an older sister to me. Minus the bitchy part. That part went to Caleb. I couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" She asked me, one eye open the other closed. For a second there she looked as though she was winking at me. That only made me laugh harder.

"Caleb's a bitch." That got Robbie to crack up. Sometimes, I just amuse myself.

--

That day at school, I was my own worst enemy. I kept sneaking glances in Ashleigh's direction during the classes we had together and she had shown no reaction to me whatsoever. I had checked my email once more, before I left for school that day, and Ashleigh had not written me back. So all throughout school I kept thinking two different things; Maybe she hadn't read that email yet or maybe she already read it and doesn't care?

At lunch, she was sitting at the familiar table her and Kira ate at every day since I had been back. The only difference, was that today Kira wasn't sitting there. I took my only chance, and sat down across from Ashleigh, causing her to look up and then back down at her tray of food. _Maybe she had read that email?_

"Hey." I picked at my salad. I could feel the gazes Caleb and Sarah. They were watching me. Technically, they were supposed to because I wasn't allowed to eat by myself.

"Hi." Ashleigh kept staring at her plate of food.

"I'm sorry." In reality, I wasn't so sure of why I was apologizing. But it sounded like the right thing to say at the time.

"For what?" Apparently, she was just as confused as I was. _Maybe she hadn't have read that email then._

"For being a selfish bitch." It was true. All I've ever thought about was myself, because I figured I was the only one that cared. But I was wrong. Spending that month with Robbie and Chloe in the institution made me realize how very wrong I had been.

"I'm sorry too." She had tears in her eyes. Before I knew it, I was crying too.

We spend the remainder of our lunch period, eating and catching up. Thankfully, Ashleigh had filled me in that Kira had gotten food poisoning and had been too sick to go to her classes today. I silently prayed to the Gods, thanking them for cursing us with bad beef.

--

After school let out for the day, I talked Caleb into letting me stay at Ashleigh's dorm. He agreed to pick me up in a few hours. After we said our goodbye's I met Ashleigh in her dorm room. Her roommate, Aubrey, was at track practice so we had the room to ourselves.

"So what's new with you?" I asked her, looking around her semi-neat dorm room. It was the standard dorm room, two beds, two desks, two dangerously small closets, with a sink and toilet in the back, because this was Spencer's and we prep students tended to be spoiled. Ashleigh's side of the room was mainly adorned in pink and blue, while Aubrey's was strictly black. I wondered how these two very different personalities managed to live together, peacefully. Pink and Blue vs. Black. Weird.

"Nothing, really." She shrugged. She walked over to her closet and threw a pair of jeans and a shirt over her shoulder. She walked back to her desk and pulled out her make-up bag.

"Do you want to go to Nicky's tonight?" She looked back at me through her mirror, as she applied her lip gloss.

"I actually have to meet Robbie for some stuff." It was true, Robbie and I were going to go over a new work out plan, one that would help tone my lower body and make me feel better about my thighs in general.

"Who's Robbie? I thought you were dating Pogue?" She giggled.

"Robbie is actually Dr. Ruiz, she came back after I thought I was going to relapse. She's staying with us for a few weeks until everything gets back on track." I answered her. I spared the details of Chase.

"What kind of mother name's their kid Robbie?" Ashleigh was now running her hands through her hair.

I laughed. Ashleigh was intensely book smart. But common sense just didn't come naturally to her.

"So, you're with Pogue though right? I've heard gossip and stuff, and I've seen the two of you in the halls, but are you guys like official?" She pulled one leg up on her chair, and now rested her chin on her knee.

"Yeah," I smiled. "It's official." I looked over and saw a picture of Ashleigh and Tyler together, hanging on the desk wall just behind Ashleigh. Tyler was looking directly at the camera, smiling, while Ashleigh was looking up at Tyler. The word "Babe" was written just below the picture.

"So like, what's it like?" Ashleigh had a dreamy expression on her face.

"It' great, it really is." I sounded like I was trying to convince myself. I couldn't take my eyes off of that picture of Tyler.

"If you guys have babies, you're going to pop them out, and they're going to be fully ripped." I laughed. The image of a newborn baby with a six pack flooded my mind. I laughed harder.

"I doubt that will happen, but thanks I guess." I half-smiled. "So how are things with you? You and Tyler I mean."

Ashleigh's smile faded. "We actually broke up a few days ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry." I said, not sure what else to say.

"Don't worry about it. I figured he's probably hurting more than I am anyways." Ashleigh turned around, grabbing her jeans and t-shirt, and walked into her bathroom to change. "I mean, it must suck for him seeing you with Pogue." She yelled out as she changed from her school uniform to her regular attire.

"What do you mean?" I was confused. And curious. I hoped she couldn't tell the last part.

"Well, when Tyler and I broke up, I asked him if he still loved you and he didn't have to say anything. I already knew the answer." Ashleigh looked a little sad as she said this.

"Ashleigh, Tyler never loved me. He told me so the day I left for Boston. He's the reason I cut myself in the bathroom." I looked down at the faint scar that was permanently etched into my skin.

"Maybe he just said that, thinking that would make you go with Dr. Ruiz." Ashleigh sat back down on her desk chair and started spraying her hair with anti-frizz mist. This I knew, because I remember taking her to the beauty supply store to buy it in the first place. Ashleigh had asked the lady about products to tame her afro, and the lady, without pausing, grabbed a bottle of anti-frizz and told Ashleigh it wasn't a fro if it wasn't higher than three inches. Ashleigh left the beauty supply store a little disappointed that day.

We spend the remainder of our time together talking about school gossip, where Kate Tunney ended up transferring, and Ashleigh informed me that Kira was a semi-decent person when she wasn't around her usual group of friends. I found that hard to believe, but refrained myself from pointing that out to Ashleigh. If Ashleigh liked Kira, I had to respect that. I would never like Kira, but that was my own personal judgment.

--

I waited in the school quad for my brother to pick me up. Ashleigh had to meet some of her friends at Nicky's and asked me if I needed a ride. I politely declined, telling her Caleb would be here for me and she left. I felt somewhat at ease, knowing that Ashleigh and I were going to be okay.

I flipped open my phone and was about to text my brother to see where he was at, when an unknown trespasser of my personal space decided to grab my cell with his fingerless gloves, and throw it a good fifty feet or so, across the grass field.

"Reid, you're such a twat!" I yelled out, running over to where my phone now laid, thankfully unbroken. I wiped off a few blades of grass and turned around to face Reid fucking Garwin.

Reid was standing there with a stupid smug expression plastered across his face, next to Tyler. And yeah, you guessed right, Tyler was looking down at his feet. Again.

"Did you just call me a twat?" Reid was amused.

"Words can not express how much I hate you right now." I walked back to the bench at sat down in the same spot I had been sitting previously, before that jackass decided to play phone hockey.

"Baby Boy and I are headed to Nicky's, need a ride?" He asked, looking over at Tyler, who just stared at him with huge eyes that practically were screaming 'awkward.'

"No thanks, I'm waiting for my ride actually." I opened my phone again and began typing a message to Caleb.

"Pogue's letting you _ride_ on his dirt bike?" I caught onto the double meaning. Reid and his sexual innuendoes. He's such a slut.

"Reid, you ignorant slut! My_ brother_ is picking me up!! _Caleb_ will be here any minute." I stated, flatly. I finished my message telling Caleb to hurry up and I slammed my phone shut.

"Well, this chat was lovely but I've got money to win and chicks to bag. So I'll catch you later mini-Danvers." Reid laughed as I flipped him off and walked towards the student parking lot. I secretly wished he'd get hit by a car or something. I mean, I didn't want to see him get hurt... too _much_ anyways. Maybe a mini compact car, like a mini-couper or some tiny Toyota would do the perfect damage. I'm not talking about a semi- or Tyler's Hummer for crying out loud.

I figured Tyler must have followed him, because it was dead silent after Reid stopped talking. The sun was slightly visible, through the clouds, and thankfully it wasn't raining just yet. The weather was tolerable, although it was slightly on the chilly side.

"Adele." Shit, I knew that voice. I knew that voice all to well. It was the voice that haunted my dreams.

"Tyler." I looked up at the sky as he sat across from me, on the same bench. "Ashleigh told me the two of you broke up." I didn't know what else to say and that was the only thing that came to mind.

"Yeah," he looked up at the sky as well, "things just didn't work out."

I watched him as he spoke. His eyes were still the dark blue that I had remembered them to be. He was wearing a dark blue overcoat and a black button up shirt underneath, with a pair of worn in dark blue jeans. He looked nice, like date nice, and I wondered if he was meeting up with any girls at Nicky's. I brushed off that thought. I was with Pogue now. It didn't matter if Tyler dated other girls. He probably was dating other girls.

"You okay?" Tyler was now looking at me. I must have started staring into space or something, because I don't remember seeing Tyler's gaze fix upon mine.

I nodded. But a part of me wished I hadn't of nodded. A part of me wanted Tyler to hug me, to tell me everything was going to be okay, and reassure me that everything works out the way it's supposed to. But I knew better. Happy endings only happen in fairy tales. And my life was far from being a fucking fairy tale.

I snapped out of my negative thinking. I couldn't think like this anymore. It was just going to stress me out and Robbie says stress is the worst feeling in the world. I wondered if she'd ever been in love with someone that never loved her back. Because stress seemed like nothing to that.

"I just wanted to apologize. For everything." Tyler looked adorable, sitting in front of me, kicking his feet on the cement. I could tell he hadn't shaved today. He had stubble around his chin. I'm sure Reid was giving him shit for that; "Baby boy has peach fuzz!" I started laughing. Tyler looked mortified.

"No, sorry, I'm not laughing at you." I reassured him. "I was just laughing at something I was thinking, about Reid. Anyways, it's okay really. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I have everything to be sorry for." He looked serious. Like he had been planning to say this or something. "I lied, when I told you I didn't love you. I thought if I lied to you, that would get you to go to Boston. I was worried about you but that gave me no excuse to lie to you."

"Why are you telling me this?" I could hear my voice crack. I would not cry in front of Tyler. Not after everything that had happened. I was stronger now. I could handle these things on my own.

"If Pogue makes you happy, than I want you to be happy. But I don't think he does. I don't think he can make you as happy as I can." I looked past Tyler and saw Caleb's dark grey mustang pull into the parking lot. "I love you and I want you for myself… I-If that's what you want." Tyler's blue eyes were gazing into mine. They were almost hypnotizing.

"Tyler," I began. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and stay there forever. But I was mature now. And Pogue was my boyfriend. Tyler wasn't.

I shook my head and picked up my bag. Tyler's eyes never once left mine. "We can't do this. I'm with Pogue."

I knew in my head that what I was doing was right. Why risk breaking Pogue's heart when I did have feelings for him? Pogue was a great guy and I really did want to see where things would go with him.

But I knew in my heart that leaving Tyler behind was wrong. I couldn't tell you why. I just knew.

--

I opened the passenger side door of my brother's dark grey Mustang. I threw my black book bag into the back seat and sat down in the leather passenger seat, closing the door beside me.

"What's wrong?" Caleb asked me as he pulled out of the parking lot and made a right onto the intersection, heading home.

"Tyler told me he loved me." I looked down at the floorboards and kept my gaze there. Thoughts of Tyler were permanently burned into my head. _Why could I not stop thinking about him?_

"Whoa." Caleb was at a loss for words. To be honest, I was too. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of silence, Caleb spoke again. "What are you going to do?" I looked over at my brother. I could read Caleb like a book. He was pretty much asking me if I was going to pick Pogue or Tyler.

"I'm with Pogue for a reason Caleb. Just because Tyler's had a change of heart doesn't mean I'm going to break things off with someone I actually care about." The words I spoke were convincing. Truth be told, I almost convinced myself.

Caleb stayed silent the rest of the way home. I did too. Right now, the last thing I wanted to do was to talk to my brother about boy problems. Hopefully, when I got home I'd find Robbie wasn't too busy and be able to talk to her for a while. Or maybe Sarah was visiting. I knew she'd understand where I was coming from. Caleb was a boy after all. The only thing that seems to hold his interest are Sarah's boobs. And that's a subject I'd like to forget about altogether.

We pulled up into our driveway and I made my way inside. I threw my bag at the entry way and walked into the kitchen, hoping we had a few tubs of ice cream I could pour my heart into. We didn't. Instead we had a sober-like mother, a doctor who was barely older than I was, an overprotective older brother, an overprotective older brother's girlfriend, and my jealous boyfriend who wasn't too happy to hear that Tyler had been talking to me while I waited for my ride.

"He's your best friend and I'm your girlfriend. You don't trust either of us?" I was half-angry and half-turned on. This jealousy thing was starting to get to me. In different places of course.

"I'm just saying that I don't feel comfortable hearing that the two of you have been spending time alone." Pogue and I were sitting on my bed, alone in my room, half-yelling at each other. I had a brush in my hand and was so tempted to chuck it at him, but I refrained myself. Just the thought of throwing it at him made me feel better.

"Look, there's nothing to worry about. Nothing's going to change. I'm with you, now. I don't care about anyone else." I set the brush down and scooted closer towards him on the bed. "You know this whole jealousy thing is kind of sexy." I leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.

"Is it now?" He laughed, and flipped me over so now I was laying on my back and he was hovering above me with one hand on my waist, the other propping himself up.

"It's very hot in here. Don't you think?" I teased, pulling on the sides of his jacket, moving my head up, and meeting his lips in a passionate kiss. As if he was practically reading my mind he threw off his jacket. We stayed like that, for awhile. Just kissing and heavy petting. Nothing too sexual. I was just coming to terms with my body and I highly doubted I would be comfortable letting someone else see me naked. But that didn't mean I didn't enjoy what we were doing. Not in the least.

Pogue's hand reached up under my buttoned up school shirt as he made a trail of kisses down my neck. I moaned as his hand slipped under my bra and cupped my breast. I pulled him closer to me, grinding my hips onto his. This time, he was the one to moan. He moved his kisses lower, first towards my collarbone and then even lower. Although I still had my shirt on that seemed like no problem for Pogue. He unbuttoned the top two buttons on my white shirt and finished his quest. I moaned and closed my eyes, as he tenderly bit down on the flesh of my cleavage. "Tyler, don't stop." I moaned out.

Pogue stopped. He looked confused. And then that confusion turned into an expression of anger. "You just called me Tyler." He got up off of me and began looking around for his leather jacket that had been thrown off in the early process of our heated make out session.

"No I didn't." _Did I?_

"I heard you Adele. You called me Tyler." Pogue threw on his jacket and stormed out. I ran out after him, buttoning up my shirt in the process.

"Pogue, wait please" I yelled after him. He threw open the front door and walked out, pulling his keys out of his pocket. I followed after him. "Pogue stop!"

He listened. He turned around and faced me.

"I'm not Tyler Adele. Let's stop pretending here!" He screamed. I was taken a back. I have never been yelled at like that before. Pogue was kind of scaring me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." I tried to reassure him. Maybe I was trying to reassure myself as well.

"Look" his voice was somewhat normal now. "It's obvious, okay! I'm surprised this relationship lasted this long! You belong with Tyler, not me."

I couldn't find the words to speak. I didn't know what to say. In my entire lifetime, I normally just spoke. I never thought about what I said. And now, when I needed to say anything in general, I just couldn't. Words failed me.

"The very first day of school, Tyler came up to me and punched me square in the jaw at swim practice. He didn't say one word to me until Coach pulled us apart. You want to know why he punched me Adele?" Pogue was looking at me with a strangely sad looking expression pressed across his face. "He told me that punch in the face was for letting a girl like you get away."

I stood there. Expressionless.

"I had a feeling that you were only with me because he was off fucking your friend Ashland, Ashton, or something like that. I knew it was Tyler that you cared for all along and now I know I was right." Pogue slipped his helmet on and took off on his bike.

I turned around to head into the house when I was met by Sarah at the door. She looked worried. "Are you okay?" She asked me, in a voice so soft it was barely a whisper.

"I don't know." I answered her, making my way up the old cemented stairs and onto the old wooden front porch, which squeaked beneath me.

"What happened?" She moved aside as she opened the front door and followed me inside.

"I called him Tyler." I walked down the hall and into the living room where Robbie and my mom were talking animatedly about something.

Sarah followed and sat down in the couch, next to Robbie. I sighed, as I sat down next to my mother hoping I'd be able to take my mind off of things.

"What's wrong?" Robbie asked me. Everyone turned their attention towards me.

"I think Pogue and I just broke up." I couldn't help but let the tears fall from my eyes. My mom's arms instinctively wrapped around me. I leaned in and smelled a fragrance I used to be familiar with. No it wasn't alcohol. It was perfume. The perfume that my mom used to wear when I was younger. It smelled faintly of roses and lavender.

"What happened?" My mom asked me, kissing my forehead.

I looked over at Sarah and she answered for me. "She called him Tyler."

And as I had thought my night couldn't have gotten any worse, Robbie started cracking up. "I'm sorry" she said in between breathes. "This isn't funny at all." She looked over at my tear stricken face. "But it is."

I could feel my mom shaking. She too, was trying her hardest not to laugh. I smiled, and soon the four of us girls were in hysterics.

--

The truth of the matter, was that it was not funny. I had hurt Pogue. I had led him on. It was Tyler, who I cared about. It was Tyler, who I loved. I couldn't go to sleep that night knowing I screwed up again. I had to talk to Pogue. And I had to talk to Tyler. And it couldn't wait.

Everyone was asleep; It was a few minutes past mid-night. I crept downstairs and found my mother's car keys and Caleb's car keys on the coffee table. Deciding Caleb would KILL me if I touched the paint of his car, I decided to take the Audi for a little test drive. All the way to Pogue's apartment.

I sang along with ABBA on my ten minute drive to Highland Apartments. My mother's choice in music wasn't very good, in my opinion, but there was something catchy about Dancing Queen.

Highland Apartments were the pristine of Ipswich rentals. Renting out even a studio granted the renter a supply of gold-digging ass, expensive wine by the barrels, and a membership to the local gym, depending on the amount of time the lease lasted. It was no surprise that the Parry's only rented the best for their son. Pogue, never seemed fazed by it though. As long as he had his precious Ducati he was all good.

I parked my mother's car into an available parking spot and made my way up the flight of stairs, to apartment number 76. I saw his Ducati parked in the parking lot, so I knew he was home. I hoped he was still awake, because sensing his anger earlier, I doubted he would be jumping for joy when awoken in the middle of the night by a girl that had just fucked him over.

I knocked twice. No answer.

I knocked once more. Still no answer.

I rang the doorbell and heard footsteps.

"What the fuck?" I was greeted by Pogue, fully decked out in a bad case of bed head.

"Can I come in?" I asked pleadingly.

"No." Alright, so it's safe to say that he's still mad.

"I came to apologize. I shouldn't have led you on." I spoke bluntly.

"It's in the middle of the fucking night. Couldn't you have waited until school tomorrow?" He did have a point.

"I figured you deserved an apology right away." I looked away. I felt horrible after everything had happened.

"You can come in, as long as Caleb doesn't find out." He semi-smiled.

I smiled back and walked in. It was the typical bachelor pad. Empty beer bottles scattered around the place, left over pizza boxes still on the counter. And his apartment smelled not so pleasantly. I of course, didn't voice that opinion. I've put the poor boy through enough, the least I could do was spare him an insult.

"I'm sorry" I turned around to face him. He was wearing a pair of boxer shorts. No shirt and no pants. It was like sex on a stick.

"I accept your apology." He semi-laughed and I chuckled thankfully.

"So, what do we do now? I've never broken up with a boyfriend before." I stated flatly.

Pogue raised an eyebrow. "You're a pretty good kisser for a rookie."

"Just because you were my first boyfriend doesn't mean you were my first kiss." I teased him. I was happy that the mood was lighter than before. Before, it was just tense and depressing.

"Oh, and who happens to have that honor?" He teased back.

I looked at the floor and thought of Tyler.

"I see" he said, heading to the kitchen and grabbing a beer from the fridge. "I'd offer you one but we all know what happens after you drink." He laughed.

--

I was happy to leave Pogue's apartment that night seeing him in happier spirits. I knew that things with Pogue and I were going to be okay. And I hoped that he truly had forgiven me for everything I had done. A year ago, I would have never thought that Pogue and I would have gotten together. A year ago, I would have never thought I would _not _be in love with Pogue. A year ago, I would have never thought that I was crazy in love with Tyler. Tyler fucking Simms. It's always the quiet and shy ones.

I hit the alarm button on my mom's keychain and walked through the dewy grass from the parking lot and into the dorm building. Luckily, Manuel the security guard, was at the opposite end of the building and I was able to sneak in without getting the third degree. I walked the darkly lit hallways and rehearsed mentally what I wanted to say to Tyler. I stopped at the staircases, looking up and locking eyes with Chase, who was standing at the very top of the stairs. My heart sunk low into my chest and I felt my breathing quicken. Instantly, I remembered what Caleb had told me about Chase. _He was bad. Very bad_.

"Hello Gone, I've missed you." He said in an eerily creepy voice. "I think it's about time we catch up."

--

"So you're telling me that unless my brother wills away his power to you, you're going to kill me?" I was scared. Chase had grabbed a hold of me on the stairwells and had transported me to some dark unknown location. I wanted to make sure I had the story straight. Chase wanted my brother, a witch, to will away his powers to him and die, or else he was going to kill me. I knew this guy was an asshole when I had first met him. I didn't realize, until now, how big of an asshole he really was.

"You're smart, for a blonde." He chucked. It was an evil chuckle. It made all the hairs on my body stand straight up. He turned around and slapped me hard. There was no doubt in my mind that the blow on my face hadn't of left a mark. It stung but I wouldn't dare cry. It was dark, but I would never give Chase the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Before I knew it, I felt his scratchy palm spread across my face once more, and I drifted off into unconsciousness.

For once in my life, I had finally gotten a firm grasp on controlling my actions, and now this. This was one situation I had no control over. I just wished I had taken the chance to tell Tyler I had loved him yesterday, when I had waited for Caleb to pick me up, after hanging out with Ashleigh. Even in my unconsciousness, I wondered if Tyler would ever know how I truly felt about him.


	11. Chapter 10: The Absent Soul

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Absent Soul Makes The Heart Grow Fonder**

**Story of A Girl**

* * *

I awoke unaware of my surroundings. I wasn't sure if it was the next morning or if I had slept only a few hours. The sun was shining through the wooden planks of the building so I figured it was the morning after I had been kidnapped. I looked around and saw Chase, reading a book I recognized as the Book of Damnation. Chase was reading intently, looking almost peaceful. I looked around and saw that I was laying down in a pile of hay. I was in an old barn. At least, that's what it looked like. There were pitchforks hung on the wall opposite of me, and hay scattered across the ground. I looked around and saw that I wasn't being tied to anything. I was completely free. _Maybe if I ran fast enough I could escape?_

"Don't think about it." Chase creepy voice floated out, above his book. He hadn't stopped reading. _So what, he can read my thoughts now too?_

"Yes I can." He answered. I frowned. "You're brother should be here soon, to will away his powers to yours truly." Chase stood up, set his book on the floor, and walked over to me. "This will give us time to catch up." He smiled and took a seat next to me.

He was sitting too close to me. Way too close. I moved over a little, making the distance between us grow. "Don't worry, I'm not going to touch you like that." His voice was dangerously close to my ear. "I like my girls without the extra padding" he said, pinching my left thigh and laughing hysterically. Although that comment was said only on the intent of bothering me, I brushed it off. At least he wasn't going to touch me. This guy was insane. Truly and completely crazy.

It stayed quiet, Chase resumed reading the book, and I resumed back to my thoughts. I couldn't help but worry about Caleb. If I didn't have Caleb, the one person I truly felt loved me for me… Well, I wouldn't know what I'd do without him.

And Tyler. Would he ever know how I really felt about him? _Will I ever get the chance to tell him how much I love him? _I had a feeling in my stomach that something bad was about to happen. Robbie always told me to trust my instincts. And if she was right, which she normally was, then my stomach was foretelling my future. Something bad was going to happen to me or someone I loved. I just knew it.

"It looks like Mr. Save Us All is here to rescue his poor little baby sister." Chase's voice was cold and emotionless. He was looking out through the barn window, watching Caleb pull up to the front of the barn in his newer muscle car. I heard footsteps in the gravel and watched as my brother opened the barn door, just in time to be greeted by Chase's fist in his face.

I screamed and before I could run in between the two fighting boys or do anything else for that matter, everything faded to black.

My eyes fluttered open. It was dark and cold. I wasn't sure where I was, even if I was alive or not. I tried to sit up but I couldn't. I tried to scream but I couldn't. I heard voices. More than one voice. A bunch of male voices actually. And I felt my body, floating almost. As if someone was carrying me. I felt weightless. And then I fell back into a dreamless sleep.

--

"Adele, Adele, wake up" I heard a deep voice coming out from nowhere. I opened my eyes and squinted at the light. It looked as though the sun was setting in between the trees. Or rising. I couldn't tell if I was facing East or West.

"Adele, are you okay?" I looked over and saw Caleb, soaking wet, hovering above me. I sat up, slightly dizzy. My head hurt.

"Yeah, I think so." I was confused. "What happened?"

"Chase is gone." He said, lifting me up and carrying me over to his car. "We won't have to worry about him ever again."

Caleb set me in the passenger seat of his car and began driving. I looked out the window and my mouth dropped open. The Putnam Barn was burnt to a crisp. Nothing remained. I looked over at my brother.

"Caleb. What happened?" My voice was shaky. I was parched. All I wanted to do was to change into dry clothes and eat my way to sleep.

"It all happened so fast Adele." My brother was worried. Something was wrong.

"Just tell me Caleb." He was starting to make me worry.

"We started fighting. He was powerful. He kicked, he punched, he fought dirty. But something happened Adele, that I can't really explain. A bolt of lightening struck me and I was able to fight back. I was able to fight Chase with more power than you can imagine."

"But you haven't ascended yet."

"That's why I can't explain it." Caleb concentrated on the road as he pushed his foot forward and sped home.

--

My mother was standing on the porch as we drove by our house before pulling into the driveway. She ran over and I could tell she had been crying. I flung open the car door and ran into her arms. Weirdly, I never felt so safe in my entire life.

She pulled a hold of Caleb and the three of us stood there, hugging for what seemed like forever. "There's something I need to tell the two of you, but we've got visitors waiting to see you guys. I'll tell you after they leave."

I followed my mother inside and saw everyone waiting around the living room anxiously. Sarah, Ashleigh, Pogue, Reid, Gorman, a confused looking Robbie, and finally Tyler. I looked over at Caleb, who had noticed the missing body. We locked eyes and I knew that my Dad had willed away his power to Caleb.

"Oh my God, I'm so glad you guys are okay" Ashleigh ran over and hugged me, even though I was still soaking wet.

Sarah ran over to Caleb and pulled him close. She was sobbing. I saw my mom looked over at Gorman with a sad look on her face. My dad. My dad died to save my brother and I.

Reid came over and threw a large blanket over my shoulders. I thanked him and locked eyes with Tyler. _Will I ever get the chance to tell him how much I love him? _

I moved past Ashleigh and Reid, discarding the warm comfort the blanket had brought me. I broke the gap of distance between us while cupping his face in between my hands, and kissed him like I meant it. "I love you Tyler."

And I did. I really meant it.

--

That was the worst and best night of my life. The worst was learning that my father had died. After Chase had cornered Caleb and told him that he had me as a bargaining chip and wanted him to will him his powers, Caleb told my mom. When Caleb went to fight off Chase my mom ran to my dad, unsure of what else to do. My father willingly willed away his power to my brother, to save the both of us. He left a note, for my mother, to give to my brother and I. It read: I love you. The best night of my life was finally being able to tell Tyler that it was him that I've loved all along. I don't know if I could describe to you the feeling I had when Tyler told me he loved me too. It was as if Dove's shot out of my ass and Dream Weaver started playing in the background. It was a wonderful and sad night mixed into one.

My main concern, the next morning at breakfast, was Robbie's reaction to all of this. She stayed unusually silent thought the normal routine we had established. My mom would cook something healthy, we'd all eat it, and they'd make sure I didn't run off to the bathroom afterwards. I was starting to feel weird when I saw that no one was watching me eat. I guess I sort have grown accustomed to it.

Today was different anyways. It was the day of my father's funeral. Although the rest of Ipswich thought my dad was dead, we were holding his funeral in private, only allowing the people that knew he was alive to come. And the only people that knew were the four families with the powers. With the addition of Gorman, Robbie, Ashleigh, and Sarah.

Later in the morning we were having a priest come in to say a few words, in memorial for my father. Gorman had already buried my father in the burial plot, to which everyone thought he was already laying in peace at, the previous night. Caleb, Reid, Pogue, and Tyler were busy setting up the chair and tables around the backyard, all dressed in designer suits.

--

My mother and Robbie were busy making brunch and Sarah, Ashleigh, and I were up in my room getting ready. Sarah was wearing a long black sweater dress, Ashleigh was wearing a black button up top, with a long black pencil skirt, and I was wearing a black cocktail dress. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, getting dressed up for your father's funeral, but with my two best friends with me I felt like everything was going to be okay.

"You look really beautiful Adele" Sarah commented. I threw my hair up, in a tight bun, pushing my bangs to the side of my face.

"So do you guys" I said. I meant it too. Sarah looked amazing in her sweater dress with her hair all wavy and messy. Ashleigh was beautiful, with her caramel brown hair pulled into a low ponytail. She looked like the old Ashleigh I used to know. I smiled as the three of us made out way downstairs.

--

"Are you going to be okay?" Tyler looked over at me. His fingers intertwining with mine.

I smiled at him. "If you're with me, I'm going to be just fine."

"This probably isn't the best timing," Tyler looked like he was thinking about something, staring off into space, while still talking to me at the same time. "The Winter Formal is a month away and since we never got to go to the Fall Ball together, I thought maybe we could go to the Formal together."

I looked up at Tyler, and smiled. "I'd love to." I even knew which dress I was going to wear. It was the one that I had picked out for the Fall Ball.

"We are gathered here today," The priest began his speech. He was an older man, in his seventies, who looked a lot like Gorman. He wasn't very tall, a little taller than myself probably, and he slurred his words as he spoke. "to remember Edward William Danvers as a son, father, and friend." My eyes started to tear up, and Tyler squeezed my hand.

I looked over at studied my mother as she listened to the Priest give his speech. She looked dead. I could only imagine how she felt, knowing the man she loved was no longer alive. I shuddered at the thought of losing her, my brother, or Tyler for that matter. But I loved Tyler in a different way than how I loved my mom and brother. It was probably the same way my mother loved my father. Although… I would _never_ cheat on my husband, with one of his close friends.

I looked over to the opposite side of the backyard and studied Mr. Simms. I could see the dark hair and the eyes that Tyler inherited. I wonder how it felt for him when Mrs. Simms died. She had been in a car accident when Tyler was only eight. No one really spoke of it. Turned out the other driver was drunk and at fault. I think that's why even Reid never let any of his friends drive drunk. They've seen what happens first hand.

Mr. Simms was an attractive man. I could see how my mother would be attracted to him. He was a few years past forty, at least. He had his own law firm, he owned half of Spencer's Academy, and he raised Tyler all by himself. No nannies, no help. I knew that Tyler was close to his dad. He never talked down about him, like Reid talked about his parents, or even how Caleb and I would talk about our mother.

I returned my gaze back on my mother, as tears fell from her eyes, and I watched as she wiped them away with a tissue paper. She was a beautiful woman. French and very persistent. I hoped that my dad's death wouldn't bring back her drinking habits. She was doing so well lately. It was nice to finally get to know the real her. And although she was stubborn at first, she really seemed to benefit after I got help. It was as if Robbie had some sort of influence over her or something.

I turned my gaze towards the petite Latino sitting next to my mother. Robbie was truly an amazing person. Even after being told that one of her patients had a father and brother that had inherited magical powers, she still seemed supportive. I knew this whole thing probably bothered her. She was after all a Doctor, and doctor's have degrees in science. But I knew that this bond I had with her, this sisterly bond, was the reason why she was holding up so well. Plus, I like to think she struck up a friendship with my mother. Sort of like the friendships that I shared with Ashleigh and Sarah. I trusted them both with my life. I had a feeling Robbie was going to be around awhile, and not just because of me.

I smiled.

"You okay?" I looked up at Tyler and noticed that everyone was moving towards the tables now.

"Yeah, I guess I zoned out," I chuckled.

"You have a tendency to do that." He teased.

We walked over to the tables, where my mother, Robbie, and Mrs. Garwin were serving food. Mrs. Garwin was a plump blonde, well past her 40's. She had had short curly blonde hair and peircing blue eyes. Pretty much she was Reid Garwin with tits and a big ass. Minus the beanie and fingerless gloves.

I grabbed a plate sitting on a side table, but Robbie stopped me.

"You're special today." She reached beside her and grabbed a plate already made. "I already made a plate for you." She smiled and handed it over. I handed Tyler the empty plate.

"Mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. I love you Roberta Ruiz. I love you long time." I grabbed my brunch and practically skipped over to an empty table. What can I say? There's nothing more comforting than carbs!

"Here you go." Tyler sat a bottled water next to my plate and sat beside me.

"Thanks babe." I said as I shoved a mouth full of the delicious cheesy pasta I loved so much.

"Can we skip the nicknames?" He asked, politely.

"You don't like it when I call you babe, _babe_?" I teased him.

"It just reminds me of someone else." He laughed, taking a sip out of my bottled water.

"Any other girlfriends I should know about?" I nudged him playfully in the shoulder with my free hand. My other hand was busy scraping my plate.

"Oh shut up, there's no way you can eat all that and not work out! It's just not right!" I heard Robbie's loud voice from across my parent's backyard. And I'm not bragging when I say that it's a pretty big back yard. I'm just saying Robbie has a loud fucking voice.

I looked over and saw that Mr. Simms was laughing (with an unbelievable amount of food on his plate) along with Robbie.

"Here we go again." I heard Tyler mumble as he too devoured his plate.

"At least she's not married."


	12. Chapter 11: The End

**AN: **This is it, the last chapter. Me hopey you likey...xx Ella

* * *

**Chapter 11: The End**

**Story of A Girl**

* * *

A few weeks had passed since my father's untimely death. Robbie had to return back to Boston, but it was clear that whatever her and Mr. Simms had going on was romantic and not at all platonic. I even overheard her telling my mother that he was the best that she's ever had. That was around the time I had stopped eavesdropping altogether. There's something about overhearing old people talking about their sex lives that makes you want to burn off your ears.

School resumed like usual and so did the gossip. Apparently, the latest scoop was that Chase was found dead from a drug overdose, and the entire town of Ipswich tried to cover up his death, as just a missing persons report, so the school wouldn't look bad. I had no idea if Chase was dead for good, no one did. He disappeared from our radar and the police had yet to find a body.

Tyler and I were going good. We were practically inseparable. Other than the hand holding we were pretty innocent too. We did sneak some tongue in a few kisses here and there, but pretty much our conduct was PG. Maybe PG-13 if you considered grabbing his butt sexual in the least. Just because we hadn't done the deed didn't mean we didn't want to. But I wanted my first time to be with someone special. And although Tyler was more than just special, I just didn't feel ready yet.

My mother, thankfully, had not returned to her old habits of Jack Daniel and Captain Morgan. Instead, she found herself grieving her way into a weekly book club. It was weird, coming home to a bunch of older women talking about what book Oprah picked for the month, and how they thought the book was turning out so far. But I was happy that my mother had found a healthy vice. And I was happy that she remained so normal. It was nice actually having a mother figure in my life once again.

Things in my life seemed normal and complete for once. And although Chloe had not remained in contact, I had hoped things were working out for her as well. I had hoped that Chloe had found some sort of happiness, like I have.

With Tyler.


End file.
